Unemployed
by alwayscastle2
Summary: Post ep. 6.03...my take on unemployed Beckett and how she reacted to the news. Will she go back to work or will she stay unemployed?
1. Chapter 1

_Note: This is my first fanfic, so I am a little nervous. Any reviews will be greatly appreciated! Thanks to SabreDae for giving me the push I needed to get this done. This is going to be my take on what would happen if Beckett didn't go back to the precinct. Maybe she will at some point…you'll have to read to find out!_

**Sadly I do not own Castle, I only wish I did. **

Chapter 1.

A stunned Beckett closed the door to the loft. Castle stood there, waiting to see her reaction to McCord's rapid departure. He saw the tears threatening to escape and he crossed the room quickly, pulling her into her arms.

"You just got us an apartment…" she began, looking up into his blue eyes, her own filled with apology.

"Kate…" his Kate, so concerned that he had just bought them a new place, not even thinking about the fact that she had just moments ago been fired by the Attorney General's office. "Do you think that bothers me? We can sublet, we can sell it, whatever you want to do. That doesn't matter to me," he looked down at her, and she pressed her forehead to his chest and sighed.

"I knew I wouldn't get away with it. I guess subconsciously I knew what would happen. I've just…" she paused. "I've never been fired from anything before. I didn't think it would feel like this."

His eyes searched her face, trying to see what she was thinking. "Feel like what?"

"Relief," tears spilled out of her eyes and down her face. "I thought I would feel sad or upset, but honestly Rick, I just feel relieved."

He took her hand and led her over to the couch, where she sat crisscrossing her legs in front of her before pulling him down next to her.

"This job," she began. "I thought it was what I wanted. But if it has shown me anything, anything at all, it's shown me how much I love you and don't want to be away from you."

"Kate," he started, and was quickly silenced.

"No, babe, let me finish. Please. When we had to deal with that toxin, I was so worried I was going to lose you. It would have been my fault. I chose the job that put you in that position."

At this Castle grabbed her shoulders to turn her to face him. "Listen to me. That wasn't your fault. I put my nose where it didn't belong. I came to see you. I didn't give you that picture back. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your job's fault. It was mine." His eyes were pleading with hers to believe him, trying to will her to release the blame he knew she had been shouldering since he was infected.

"Part of me wanted you to interfere though. I wanted it to be like it was at the 12th. I missed having you there with me looking for the story. Maybe it wasn't my fault you were infected, but it is my fault I didn't know what I had all along. If you would have died," she broke again here, and he saw how much she had been holding back all along. Castle pulled her to him and let her cry herself dry. "I would have never been able to forgive myself," she managed to get out before leaning on him again.

"But I didn't die. You saved me. You. Those agents wouldn't have been able to do it without you. Do you realize how extraordinary you are, Kate? That's a silly question I know. That's simply because you have no idea."

Kate looked at her knees, trying to figure out how to say what she was thinking.

"I don't feel extraordinary. If I was I wouldn't have just been fired."

"Weren't you the one who just told me she was relieved she was fired? You are the one who stood up for the victims and saw that an innocent life was spared. You, Kate, not those people in the FBI. You value life. You saw what they were doing was wrong and you fixed it. And for that I could not be more proud of you. I love you, Katherine Houghton Beckett, and I am honored to call you my fiancé." With that statement, Castle pulled her into his lap and kissed her lightly on her shoulder. He felt her relax into him, pulling his arms around her and taking a deep breath.

"I love you too. But now we have more things to figure out. You didn't really count on an unemployed fiancé, did you?" She half laughed at this statement. Katherine Beckett, unemployed. Who would have thought?

"Well, Ms. Beckett," Castle began with a glint in his eye, slowly moving his hands under her sweater. "I think there's one thing we can work on right now," he pulled her onto him and gave her a long, slow, sensuous kiss.

"Why, Mr. Castle, are you trying to seduce me?" she asked him, smiling when he answered her with another kiss.

Several hours later, they found themselves in their bedroom, completely exhausted, and extremely happy with themselves. Kate rolled herself onto her side and looked at her fiancé. "I told you my favorite position was in person," she winked.

He laughed then, relieved to see how well she was taking this whole situation. He certainly wasn't going to admit it to her, but he had initially been worried this was going to crush her.

Realizing her fiancé was lost in his thoughts she asked, "Penny for your thoughts?" She peppered his face with kisses.

He smiled at her then. "I was just wondering how long I could convince you to stay in bed."

"Well, seeing how I don't have to go to work in the morning, I'd say you could probably keep me here for awhile." He grinned mischievously. "But first there are some things I want to figure out. We need to plan what to do with the D.C. apartment, what we are going to about moving my things here, and if I'm not mistaken, I believe we have a wedding to plan!"

"You're not wasting any time!" he exclaimed, laughing at this enthusiasm that has come over her. "Let's see. The D.C. apartment should be easy to take care of. Do you want to keep it as an investment or should we sell it?"

"It's up to you Castle," she told him. "You bought it."

"Remember not even two minutes ago when you said we have a wedding to plan? That means you are going to be my wife, which means you help me with these decisions."

"Like you had me help with the decision to buy the apartment?" she teased, poking him in the stomach.

"Touché Beckett, touché." He laughed. "That was supposed to be a surprise, to make you happier."

"And it did. It makes me so unbelievably happy that you thought to do that, and completely caught me off guard. For a minute there I thought you were going to break off the engagement…" she trailed off there, and felt him staring at her.

"Kate," he tipped her head up to look him in the eyes. "What have I told you? We are going to work this out. Always. I'm never going to leave you, you should know that by now."

"I know, but it worried me for a second. Ok." She wanted to move past this moment. "How about we sell the apartment? If that's ok. I don't really want it around as a reminder of the bad decision I made. Maybe then we can put some of my stuff in storage, at least until things are figured out here."

"I think that sounds perfect. I'm not quite sure how long Pi will be with us, but I'm hoping it isn't long. Anyways, Alexis will be back off to school soon, and things will get a little quieter around here."

Kate couldn't help but laugh. Whenever Castle mentioned Pi, he got this look on his face, it was just too cute. "I dunno Castle, I kinda like Pi…" her mouth curved into a wide grin at the look of astonishment on his face. "Kidding! I'm sure Alexis will come to her senses soon. But in the meantime…why don't you forget about Pi and concentrate on something else." She kissed him, and she knew if she were to mention Pi again the response would be, "Pi, who?"

They broke apart long enough for him to ask, "I thought you wanted to talk about the wedding?"

"Tomorrow is soon enough, Castle. I just want to focus on us right now, that ok?"

The low moan that escaped from him would have been answer enough, but his soft murmur of, "always" in her ear had the warmth spreading fast through her body. She was glad the loft was empty. She wanted to celebrate life and the thought of their always. Everything else could wait until morning.


	2. Chapter 2

_Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed chapter 1! You guys are great, and have made me even more excited about writing this story! I do have a general direction this story is going, and I can't wait to share it with you all. _

**Sadly I still do not own Castle.**

Chapter 2.

She smelled pancakes. Kate opened a bleary eye when she heard the door click open and saw Rick carrying a tray into their bedroom. She saw a little vase, with roses inside, and her heart melted. She shifted up onto her elbows and gave Castle a smile.

"Good! You're up! Happy unemployment day!" He laughed at her smirk.

"You know, you're lucking you come in bearing food, otherwise I may have had to hit you with my pillow for that one."

"But, it's going to be a fun day," he gave her puppy dog eyes and looked pitiful as he set the tray down over her lap and took his place in the bed beside her. "Mother, Alexis and Pi have enjoyed their overnight yoga retreat so much, they decided to stay another night. They even have mother's anti-aging smoothie Pi has been making her…so we have the place to ourselves! Whatever shall we do?"

"We could read…" Kate said as she moved the tray out of the way, onto her bedside table. "We could plan our wedding," she turned towards him, quickly straddling him, moving kisses along his neck as she spoke. "Or now that the loft isn't crowded, we could enjoy some time to ourselves. If I'm not mistaken, after so long apart, we have some catching up to do." Castle didn't need any more convincing than that.

Several hours later Kate woke up to her fiancé sleeping with his head under her arm. She was so relaxed she didn't want to move, despite the hunger that was clawing at her stomach. Kate willed the gurgling to stop so it didn't wake her tousled haired lover who appeared to be sleeping so peacefully.

"Can't you turn that thing off?" he mumbled, barely audible as he pressed his mouth to her shoulder.

"Sorry Castle," she told him. "Someone made me pancakes earlier, but wouldn't let me enjoy them. They wore me out and I fell asleep before I could eat them!"

"Somehow I'm having trouble feeling sorry for you," Castle laughed as he reached over her to grab the tray. "And because you were the one who started it, you get to share your pancakes!"

Beckett gave him a look of mock horror before planting a kiss on his lips and saying, "Ok, but just because I love you."

Castle still had a hard time believing tough, no nonsense, Detective Beckett had this soft side to her (or just Beckett now he supposed). Either way, Castle didn't care, he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

As Castle smiled to himself, Beckett looked over, her gaze questioning him without her having to say a word.

"I'm just thinking about how lucky I am," he answered her as he watched her eat the now cold pancakes. "I have a beautiful, sweet, amazing fiancé, and we have this new holiday to spend with each other," Castle half laughed, hoping she was still doing ok with her recent unemployment.

"You know, Mr. Castle, I must say, I think I am loving this holiday already. We have the loft to ourselves, my fiancé made me breakfast in bed, we gave it the opportunity to get cold, and now, after all of that, I'm getting to just lie here next to you. I'm enjoying every minute of it."

"What do you say we make this holiday even better and start planning our wedding?"

"I think that sounds great! So…what do you think?" Kate had finished her pancakes and turned to sit cross-legged facing her fiancé. Rick took a moment to move the tray off the bed and pulled Kate into his lap.

"I think I want to do whatever you want. I want this to be everything you have ever wanted. I don't care what time of year, where it is, or who marries us. All I care about is having the woman I love standing in front of me. You are what matters to me. I just want you to be happy."

Kate turned in his lap to look up into his blue eyes. "You really are the sweetest man. How did I get so lucky?"

"You forgot Ruggedly Handsome," he mocked anger. She couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Of course, how silly of me? My sweet, ruggedly handsome fiancé…Ok. Let's try to figure something out at least. Do you think…well…never mind." Kate trailed off, looking down.

"Think what, Babe?"

"It would be too fast. It's a crazy idea."

"You do know who you're talking to, right? I happen to be the KING of crazy ideas. C'mon. You have to tell me," Castle pleaded, attempting to look pitiful.

One look at him was all it took. It's true. He is the one who could make it happen, if anyone could. Beckett took a deep breath. "Ok, so I guess when I pictured my wedding, I always thought fall. I love the colors, the weather, the leaves changing, all of it. I was thinking that maybe since I'm not working we could just get married sooner rather than later. Like maybe at the beginning of November? I mean, if you don't want to…"

Castle interrupted her quickly, "If I don't want to? Of course I want to! All I've wanted since the moment I met you is to be with you. I would LOVE to marry you tomorrow if I could, but in order to get you the wedding of your dreams, I suppose I can wait another month."

Beckett beamed up at him. "You think we can get it done in time? Really?"

"Of course! It may take a little effort from both of us, and some extra money to ensure everything gets there, but for you, for us, it's worth it!" Castle pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head gently.

"You know, I'm pretty sure I can handle a little extra effort, what with me not having a job and all," she laughed. Castle was so glad to hear her joking about it.

"So, we're really doing this?" he asked, just to make sure she was aware of what they were doing. This wasn't normal Katherine Beckett behavior, so he wanted her to be positive.

"We really are," she grinned, pulling out her phone to look at the calendar. "How does Saturday, November 2nd sound to you?"

"It sounds like it is going to be one of the best days of my life. The day Katherine Houghton Beckett will finally be mine."

He was a sap, but he was her sap. "What you fail to realize Rick, is that I have been yours, however reluctantly at first, since the moment I first arrested you. I may have played hard to get, but I always knew we would get here."

Rick was flabbergasted. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Richard Castle was speechless," Kate exclaimed. This seemed to bring him around though.

"I knew it! I told you when you were on the bomb that you were always into me."

"Don't push your luck," she laughed at him, shaking her head.

"Ok, ok, I won't push it. I'm just glad to know that this is happening sooner rather than later. I love you Miss Beckett."

"Soon it's going to be Mrs. Castle, don't you forget it," she said as she kissed him.

"Oh I think I'm going to like calling you that," he told her as she kissed him again. "I love you, MRS. Castle."

"Always," was her simple response that sent his heart racing.


	3. Chapter 3

_Note: Wow, I am so grateful for all of your wonderful reviews! Writing has always been a private thing for me, and I am so excited that you like my story! Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to write a review, they mean the world to me!_

**As much as I wish I did, I do not own Castle. **

Chapter 3.

"Dad, we're home!" Alexis shouted, as she, Martha, and Pi made their way into the living room, dropping their bags on the floor.

"Are you ready to go tell them?" Castle asked, looking at his fiancé.

Beckett looked at him, slightly nervous. "Are you sure Alexis is going to be okay with the wedding happening so fast?"

"Are you kidding me? Alexis loves you! She'll be thrilled! And I'm sure we will have to fight my mother off. I can see her wanting to take over the planning for us."

Beckett smiled. "Okay. Let's do this." She took Castle's hand and he led her from the room.

"Oh, Kate, you're still here?" Alexis asked, surprised. "I thought you would be back in D.C. by now."

"There's kind of some news about D.C." Kate began, looking over at Rick beside her. He knew she needed help telling them she was fired.

"Kate acted heroically the other day. She saved an innocent woman from an almost guaranteed death."

"Wow, Kate, that's great!" Martha exclaimed, rushing over to hug her soon-to-be daughter in law.

"Yes, and I couldn't be more proud of her," Rick began again. "The only thing is, her superiors didn't feel the same way. Agent McCord stopped by after the case was finished because they found out Kate leaked the information, and fired her."

"Oh no, Kate, I'm so sorry," Alexis began.

"Yea, almost Mrs. C. That's rough," Pi piped in.

"Thanks guys," Kate told them, still clinging to Rick's hand. "I'm okay. I knew what I was doing when I did it. D.C. and I didn't really agree on many things. I see justice differently than they do. Rick and I have actually been celebrating the end of the job, along with…something else," she turned to her fiancé again, signaling it was his turn to talk. Alexis looked slightly alarmed.

"We decided what with Kate's newfound unemployment we might as well get married sooner rather than later! We set a date for the wedding – November 2nd!"

"You're joking, right?" Alexis asked, taking a step back. Kate's face went white, and she turned to look at Rick, both faces showing complete and utter disbelief. "You just got engaged! Why do you have to do this now? That's just over a month away!" With that, Alexis turned on her heel and ran up the stairs to her room.

Pi looked at them apprehensively. "Don't worry Mr. C and almost Mrs. C. I'm sure Al will be fine. She was just getting used to you being engaged. I'll go check on her."

Kate took a deep breath, and knew that she couldn't take the easy way out and let Pi handle the situation, or Rick for that matter. She had to be the one to talk to Alexis. They had to hash whatever this was out. "Thanks, Pi. It's okay though. I'll go talk to Alexis." She squeezed Rick's hand reassuringly, took another deep breath and headed up the stairs. Rick, Martha and Pi moved to the kitchen to start lunch and to wait for the storm to (hopefully) pass. Rick was ready to put his foot down; he was going to supervise so he could ensure they weren't having papaya steaks again. He wanted real food.

Kate paused outside of Alexis' room; trying to gain the courage she thought was necessary to face her soon-to-be stepdaughter. She knocked and waited until she heard a teary, "come in," before pushing the door open.

Alexis was sitting cross-legged on her bed, her body pillow folded in half and resting on her lap. Her head was leaning into the pillow, presumably hiding her tears from Kate.

"Alexis, can we talk?" Kate asked, still standing in the doorway.

"I guess," Alexis sniffled, pulling her head up which allowed Kate to see her tear-stained, splotchy face. "What do you want to talk about, the fact that you're taking my dad from me? Or how about the fact that you guys didn't even tell me about the engagement, and how I'm not even really part of this family anymore?"

Kate was flabbergasted. She crossed the room quickly and sat on the bed next to Alexis. "Honey, I am truly so sorry. We never meant to exclude you from anything! I would never take your dad from you. He loves you more than anything, and that will never change!"

Alexis just looked at her, so Kate continued. "We didn't mean for you to find out about the engagement that way. Your dad wanted to tell you in person, we tried to keep it quiet here, but somehow that tabloid got a picture of the ring. We were horrified when we saw the article, and by the time we called you, you had already heard. Please look at me," Kate pleaded. Alexis turned, and looked into her eyes. "I swear to you, Alexis, your father would never do anything to hurt you. I wouldn't either. I love you so much, and I know I will never be your mom or take her place, but I love you like a daughter. I would do anything to keep you from feeling pain." Her eyes were so sincere, Alexis could feel the weight on her heart lightening.

"Thanks, Kate. I guess I can understand wanting to tell me in person. It just hurt to read in a tabloid. I really am happy you guys are getting married, it's just all been happening so fast. I just don't want to lose my dad." Even though Alexis had become a young woman, in that moment, she looked like a timid child. It broke Kate's heart.

Kate pulled the young woman in for a hug. "I don't ever want to keep your dad from you. I want you to feel welcome here, and continue your laser tag game, and anything else you normally do. I don't want to take your place, Alexis, I just want to be a part of your family." It was Kate's turn to look away. "You and your dad have this amazing connection, I don't ever want to interfere. I just hope you can find it in your heart to let me in too."

Alexis was quiet for a moment, and Kate feared she was going to tell her off again. "You are family, Kate. Even before you started dating my dad, you were part of the family. Ever since you came into our lives, you have been there for me, and been there for him. No one has ever really taken care of my dad but me. My mom and Gina never cared for him like you do, or for me for that matter. I think it hurt me more because I already do think of you as a mom. I already thought of us as a family, and you made these decisions without even telling me. I do love you, Kate, and I am glad you are going to marry my dad," she leaned into Kate's shoulder, and Kate wrapped her arms around her.

"I love you, kid. I promise you we will try harder to make decisions as a family. But on the wedding note, I do have a question for you. How would you feel about being one of my bridesmaids?"

Alexis grinned and looked up at her. "Really? Are you sure you want me to?"

"Of course! It would mean the world to me if you stood up for me. We are going to need all the help we can get to pull this off so quickly, so any time you can spare, I would love it if you helped me!"

"Okay!" Alexis told her, happily, wiping the remaining tears from her face. "I'm good at planning, and organizing especially."

Kate laughed. "Don't I know it? You were so great with your dad's birthday party, I can only imagine what you could do with wedding plans! Now, we had better get downstairs before your dad kills Pi…" she said as she stood up, grabbing Alexis' hand and pulling her up into another hug.

Alexis giggled. "Yeah, you're probably right. I don't know why dad doesn't seem to like him, Pi's great!"

"I think that's a discussion for another time," Kate said as they headed downstairs.

Rick and Pi were in a discussion about fruit, and the many benefits that went along with an all fruit diet. Rick looked as though he was ready to either pull his hair out or shove Pi out of the loft. Kate laughed to herself as she approached him seeing the relieved expression on his face at having a reason to escape.

"Everything okay?" he asked tentatively, as he saw Alexis coming behind Kate.

Kate stepped to the side and let Alexis talk to her father. "Yeah dad. Sorry I freaked out on you. I love you guys, and I'm happy the wedding is going to be sooner rather than later. Also, I'm going to be one of Kate's bridesmaids!" She smiled as her dad pulled her in for a bear hug.

Kate never failed to amaze him. He had no idea she was planning on asking Alexis to be in the wedding, but he was so glad his fiancé and his daughter were on good terms again. "I'm so glad to hear that pumpkin! Why don't you go help Pi and Gram finish up with lunch?" Alexis turned and joined her boyfriend and grandmother, while Rick grabbed Kate's hand and pulled her into his lap. "Thank you," he muttered into her hair.

"For what?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"For making our family complete. For being you. For loving Alexis as much as I do. For being a mother to her. Kate, the list goes on and on. Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"I think I have an idea," she smiled, turning to kiss him.

"Whoah Mr. C and almost Mrs. C, you guys should get a room!" Pi exclaimed from the kitchen, earning a glare from Rick.

"Pi…" he whispered, his voice heard only by Kate.

"But maybe wait for your room 'til after you have lunch! I made some awesome mango avocado salad!" Pi was so proud.

"Let's eat Pi's salad, then you and I can go out for some REAL food," Kate whispered in Rick's ear so only he could hear.

"That's another reason I love you!" Rick told her proudly. "You look out for me in all of this craziness!"

"Always," Kate told him before pulling him up and leading him to the kitchen for their fruitarian pre-lunch.


	4. Chapter 4

_Note: You guys continue to amaze me! I can't tell you how much it means to me to have you not only read my story, but to take the time to review it as well. I truly appreciate the support! It just goes to show how wonderful our fandom really is! Just when I think I won't have time to update, I see another review, and I gain some inspiration! Enjoy Chapter 4!_

**I think by now you guys know I don't own Castle. It would be fun if I did, but Marlowe does us proud!**

Chapter 4.

"Honey, I'm home!" Rick exclaimed in true Ricky Ricardo form as he made his way into the loft. They had been to Remy's for a much more satisfying lunch before he dropped Kate off at home so he could go talk to Paula about details of his latest Nikki Heat book. Luckily for Kate, Alexis, Pi and Martha all had vacated the loft before her return so she had been spending the afternoon perusing wedding magazines.

"Hey there, writer man, how was the meeting?" Kate asked, turning to look over the back of the couch as he threw his jacket over the counter.

He crossed the room quickly with his long strides and bowed his head down to kiss her passionately. "Entirely too long. But then again, any time I'm away from you is too long," he smiled as he moved magazines off of the couch to make room for himself with her.

Kate shook her head. "Sometimes you're too corny for your own good, Mr. Castle." She was secretly pleased though. He may be a cornball, but he was her cornball, and even though he was sweet all the time, his words still managed to leave butterflies in her stomach. She hoped that feeling would never change.

"Oh well. You love me anyway!"

"You're right, I do!"

"I love hearing you say that…" he said almost shyly.

"Say what?" she hadn't really caught onto her own words.

"I do. Takes on a new meaning for us now, don't you think?" He reached over and grabbed her hand. Rick had to take a magazine out of her hand in order to do so, carefully making sure to place a card in her spot so she wouldn't lose it.

Kate grinned at him. "I didn't even realize I was saying that."

"Subconscious. Even better," he teased. "So, find anything good?" He asked, gesturing to the pile of magazines that were covering the coffee table. "Looks like you've got enough material here to write your own wedding planning book!"

She playfully punched him in the shoulder. "I've kind of been collecting these for awhile…stashing them at my apartment. Silly, I know…" Kate trailed off, looking embarrassed.

Rick couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How long, Kate?" he questioned, trying to read her eyes.

She looked at her knees. "I guess since around the time I gave you the drawer. I guess I hoped we would get here. I just didn't want to say anything in case you weren't sure about us."

He tipped her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes. Rick was overcome with emotion. "Kate. I don't know if you know this about me…" he began, and she looked as though she was preparing herself for some bad news. "But, I have been in love with you for quite some time. I have known since the moment you first arrested me at the New York Public Library that I would be marrying you one day. I just had to wait for the right moment. Please don't ever doubt that this is what I have wanted all along."

Kate breathed a sigh of relief. "I love you," she said simply. The simple message was able to convey everything she wanted to say but couldn't for fear of letting the tears escape.

"So did you make any decisions without me?" Rick asked, pulling her feet into his lap.

"Not really, but you did just give me an idea," she told him, grinning mischievously.

"What? What?" he sounded like a child excited for a surprise.

"What would you say about getting married in the New York Public Library? I think we have had some…interesting moments there. I feel like that would bring things full circle." Kate looked over at him, obviously with baited breath as she sought his approval on her new idea.

"Hmm. I don't know, I just don't know," he began. "That seems a little…PERFECT!" He laughed as her face went from trying to hide disappointment to a look of sheer joy.

Kate playfully swatted him with her foot. "You had me fooled for a minute there Mr. C."

His face dropped at the use of Pi's name for him. "Well, almost Mrs. C, I can't make things too easy on you!" In the next moment he breathed out, "Pi…"

"Sorry, had to do it," she told him playfully. "I wouldn't worry about him, Rick. The kid seems harmless enough."

"He's from Amsterdam, Kate. AMSTERDAM," he reiterated. "You know what they say about Amsterdam…" he trailed off here, trying not to imagine the things Pi and Alexis had been up to on their trip.

"Alexis is a good kid, Rick. You've got to trust her. She's responsible. Although how she ended up that way will always be a mystery to me!" she teased, and was lucky to see a smile on her fiancés face.

"Yeah, she is, isn't she? Thanks again for asking her to be your bridesmaid. I know that means a lot to her. Gina never thought to include her. I included her in my groomsmen, but I know it means more to her to be thought of as your friend." It was rare to hear him talk about one of his past wives. Kate knew they were a touchy subject, both for him and Alexis, so she waited to see if he would continue. "I wish you could have been my one and done, Kate. The other two, they were just fillers while I waited for you to come into my life." He was apologetic now, and Kate didn't quite understand why.

"Rick. Look at me. We both have pasts. That's what led us to each other. Do I wish we could have met earlier? Yes. Do I wish we had started our relationship earlier? Yes. But each experience we had in our lives led us to this very moment. I know how you feel about me. Some part of me has always known, despite what I used to say. If you hadn't been with Meredith, you wouldn't have Alexis. Think about that for a minute. You're my one and done and I'm you're third times the charm. That's all that matters to me. I love you, always, and I am so excited to start our forever – it doesn't matter how we got here. All that matters is we made it here and we are getting married on November 2nd!"

Rick was completely caught off guard by this rare show of emotion from Kate. He squeezed her foot gently, signaling his gratitude. "You're right, Kate. You're right. Alexis is the best thing that has happened to me, and you two, and Mother, are the most important people in my life. I am so glad we found each other, and you're right, the journey is what led us here. I wouldn't change us for anything. I love you."

They didn't need to say anything else. The silence between them was comfortable, and they both started looking through the magazines Kate had collected. Rick was having almost as much watching Kate look through the magazines as she was having pouring over the pictures. He set his magazine down and picked up her foot that was still in his lap and began to give her a massage. Kate sighed with pleasure, and settled into the couch, lying back into the pillows behind her. It didn't take long before her magazine fell onto her chest and her breathing settled into the comforts of sleep. Rick watched her sleep for a while before he decided to carry her to bed. It wasn't late, but the excitement of the last few days was enough to render anyone exhausted.

Kate didn't wake as he removed the magazine from her hands and cradled her to his chest. Rick quietly made his way across the loft and into their bedroom. "_Their_ bedroom", he thought, smiling to himself. He still liked the way that sounded. As he set her down on the bed, Kate reached out, her arms searching for him in the bed. He knew she needed the comfort of him there with her, so he went around to his side of the bed and joined her. She curled into him and he smiled into her hair, taking in the cherry scent and cherishing yet another moment spent with his fiancé.

Rick couldn't sleep, his mind still on wedding plans and thoughts of what Kate would do to occupy her time _after_ the wedding. Maybe she could work private security, or write a book…She seemed to love this wedding planning already, maybe she would want to do that? He laughed to himself at the thought of tough, Detective Beckett, a wedding planner. Rick knew she wouldn't go for something like that, but it was fun to think about. His thoughts then went back to the NYPD. He knew that was where she was happiest. Maybe he could grease some wheels to get her back there after the wedding. He knew she missed working with Esposito and Ryan. Hell, he missed working with them too.

Rick's thoughts then turned to children. They hadn't really ever talked about having kids together. If it had been anyone else, he would have said kids were off the table. But this was Kate. He could already see a beautiful, brown haired girl with her mother's eyes, and a little boy he hoped would take after him. He wondered if she wanted kids at all. She was great with Alexis after all. Rick's thoughts were interrupted by Kate stirring from her sleep. She looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

"Did you carry me in here?"

"Why, yes, I did," he grinned, knowing she would probably be upset with him for not waking her.

"Thanks, babe." Kate pulled his arm over his waist and snuggled closer to him. She never failed to surprise him.

"No problem. Are you hungry?" It had been awhile since their Remy's lunch.

Her stomach growled loudly. "Does that answer your question?"

He smiled into her hair before sitting up. "I think it does. What do you feel like? Some fruit perhaps?" he teased, poking her playfully in the back.

"Ha, ha! Very funny. How about Chinese?"

"Sounds good to me. Let me go order it."

"Hurry back," she said seductively, making the familiar warmth cascade over his body.

Rick was gone a few minutes and came back with his hands behind his back.

"I almost forgot. I got you something while I was out."

"You did?" This man never failed to surprise her.

"It's silly really, but I thought you might like it." He sat down on the bed and handed her a decorative looking clock. It had the words "Wedding Countdown" on the top and a little electronic face that currently read, "36 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle!"

Kate couldn't help but laugh. It was cute, just the type of thing Rick would think of to make her smile. "I love it! I can't wait to be Mrs. Rick Castle!" She took the clock from him and placed it gently on her bedside table. "Now what do you say we keep ourselves occupied while we wait for our dinner?"

"You read my mind," he replied huskily, pulling her over on top of him, completely and utterly happy with the day and the new things he had learned about his future wife.

_It's interesting. I thought this chapter had a different path, but the characters took over and I liked where it went. I hope you did too! By the way, Happy Castle Monday! _


	5. Chapter 5

_Note: Thank you so much to everyone who is reading and reviewing this story! It warms my heart to read your positive thoughts and to hear what you want to see! Don't worry, all of your questions will be answered in time J How much did you guys love last night's episode? I know I did! On a side note, Happy Birthday SabreDae! So glad to have "met" you! _

_Please keep reviewing, it truly means the world to me! I've been trying to post a chapter a day, but tomorrow will be busy. I probably won't get chapter 6 up until Thursday…Enjoy 5!_

**Nope, I don't own Castle. If only….**

Chapter 5.

Kate woke to the sunlight bathing their bedroom. She rolled over to curl into her fiancé, but he wasn't there. She pressed a hand to his side of the bed and was surprised to feel the sheets were cool. Kate rolled back over to check her phone with the time and was momentarily distracted by the other clock on her bedside table. The one currently flashing, _Wedding Countdown: 35 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _She smiled. He always knew what would do that to her. Kate found her phone and checked the time, 9:04. She hadn't slept too late, so where was Rick? She got out of bed and looked down to make sure she was presentable enough, just in case she ran into one of the many people who now inhabited the loft. Kate was wearing one of Rick's old t-shirts, Superman, which had become more hers than his lately. She loved how it still held his scent, this seemed to make it soft and warm, and one of her favorite things to wear. Kate grabbed a robe to throw over the shirt since she didn't have any shorts on and padded over to the door.

She was surprised to find the kitchen empty, and startled when Rick popped up from behind the countertop.

"Oh, hey! You're up!" he grinned over at her, bouncing around the kitchen, apparently cooking breakfast. "I was going to make you an omelet and come wake you up, but if you want something else, it's not too late!"

He was positively buzzing, and Kate couldn't help but laugh. "How long have you been awake? And how much coffee have you had?"

Rick laughed for a minute before answering. He was definitely overly caffeinated. "Been up for like three hours." He looked puzzled for a moment. "No idea how much coffee, actually. I lost track after my fourth cup! Do you want some? I just made a fresh pot!"

Kate grinned at him. He was like a child hopped up on candy, and caffeine, and okay, maybe throw Christmas morning in there too. "Why have you been up so long? You should have woken me up…" she told him, pulling out the chair and sitting to watch him cook. She loved watching him in the kitchen, even now while he appeared to be moving at the speed of light.

"You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you. Besides, I've had a pretty productive morning so far!" he bounced in place, waiting for her to ask why.

She could read him well. "Why is that, Castle?"

His face erupted in a giant smile. He just looked at her, grinning.

"Castle. Are you going to tell me or just stand there grinning at me?" she questioned, taking a sip of her coffee.

"I reserved November 2nd at the library!" Rick looked so proud of himself. He could barely contain his excitement. It was really happening!

"You did? Wow! That's great! Was it ridiculously expensive?"

His face sobered at the question. "Kate, I don't want you to worry about any of that. Okay? I want this day to be everything you ever dreamed it could be. I will do anything to make sure that happens."

"Okay," she told him reluctantly. His money often made her feel uncomfortable. "So did you do anything else?"

His smile was back again. "Yup!" he told her proudly.

"Well?" she asked, waiting for his response.

"I booked our honeymoon!" Rick blurted out, clearly thrilled with himself.

"Really? Already? Where are we going?"

"Yes really. Already? You do realize we are getting married in 35 days right? These things kinda have to move along quickly. And as for your last question…I'm not telling."

"What do you mean you're not telling? How am I going to know what to pack? Or how long we will be gone for?" Kate loved Rick's surprises, but she hadn't expected their honeymoon to be one of them.

Rick looked mischievous. "I love you and I know what you like. I will pack for you. But I really want this to be a surprise. I can't wait to show you what I have planned. Can you trust me?"

Kate's answer shouldn't have surprised her. "Always."

That seemed to satisfy Rick, and he looked content, turning to flip the omelet over.

"That's not a smorelete is it?" Kate asked him apprehensively.

"Why, yes, yes it is!" Rick teased, laughing at her horrified expression. "I'm kidding! It's just cheese, peppers, and ham, your favorite. I wouldn't do that to you."

Kate visibly relaxed now that she didn't have to have chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers along with her eggs. Rick caught her off guard by flipping the omelet onto the plate in front of her. The man never ceased to amaze her.

She shot him a look, before diving into her breakfast. "It's wonderful, thanks!"

"Anytime babe," he told her before moving to the chair next to her and eating his own breakfast. "This is so…married," he finished, hastening a glance over at her to see how she would take his words.

Kate looked at him thoughtfully. "When are you going to realize, I can't wait to be Mrs. Richard Castle?"

"I don't think I'm ever going to be able to understand how I got to be so lucky," he confessed. "I always dreamed this would happen. Sometimes I just have to pinch myself so I know I'm really awake."

Kate's eyes danced as she pulled him to his feet. "I have another way of showing you that you're awake…" she said seductively as she pulled him towards their bedroom.

"Even better," Rick muttered, pupils dilating with desire.

They lost track of time when they were together. That was the beauty of unemployment and self-employment. A knock on the front door startled them from a tangled sleep several hours later.

"Wha-?" Kate managed, not sure if they were expecting anyone.

"Oh man, that'll be Lanie," Rick explained, jumping up and pulling on a pair of jeans. Kate sat back against her pillow and enjoyed the view, not really putting two and two together and getting up. "Kate! You need to get dressed," Rick told her, distracting her from her admiration of his ass.

"Why? Wait…did you say Lanie was here? What is she doing here?" Kate jumped up and ran into the closet to grab her favorite pair of jeans and soft plum sweater.

"Did I forget to mention that?" he asked innocently. Kate rolled her eyes. "She's taking you dress shopping! Mother and Alexis will be meeting you there. Trust me. You get the better end of this. Alexis volunteered Pi to go with me to get my tuxedo since Espo and Ryan are working." Rick shuddered at the thought of his afternoon.

Kate couldn't help but laugh. No wonder Rick had forgotten to tell her. He had probably tried to block the fact that he would have Pi for company from his mind. Lanie knocked again.

"Coming!" Kate called as she ran from the room, skidding to a stop in front of the door.

"Hey, girl!" Lanie exclaimed, as she came into the loft. She took in Kate's flushed face and asked, "Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, no!" Kate told her, embarrassed.

"Mhmm. You ready to go?" Lanie asked as Rick made his way into the entry.

"Yeah! This was a surprise, Castle just told me what we were doing as you knocked on the door."

Lanie shook her head. "Kiss your man and let's go."

Kate didn't have to be told twice. She pecked Rick quickly on the lips and he smiled. "Have fun ladies!"

Lanie and Kate shared a knowing look. "You too!" Rick gave them his puppy dog eyes and they closed the door quickly before he could rope them into staying longer.

"Hey Mr. C!" Pi came down the stairs. "Ready to go check out some tuxedos?"

Rick sighed. "Yup, let's do this." He led the way out of the loft, dreading the next couple hours with his daughter's _boyfriend_. He hated to think of Pi as Alexis' boyfriend, but, well, that's what he was. _For now_, he couldn't help but think.

An hour later, Alexis was in a fit of giggles over the dress Kate had on. She had chosen it as a joke, but hadn't told Kate this. Kate thought her stepdaughter really wanted to see her in this poofy, frilly, flower filled dress that was about as far from Kate Beckett as she could get.

"Alexis!" Kate exclaimed. "This isn't funny! I thought for a minute you liked this! I was trying to figure out how to keep from hurting your feelings."

Lanie and Martha joined Alexis in laughter now. "Sorry, Kate, I couldn't resist," Alexis managed to get out between her giggles.

Kate was impatient. She had only tried on a couple of dresses and was enjoying herself, but she was already starting to worry she wouldn't find _the dress_. She'd seen _Say Yes to the Dress_ before and knew that most women just felt when they had the right dress. What if she never found hers? Kate smiled, hoping to keep her worries to herself. Lanie handed her a glass of champagne and she took a sip before handing it back, desperate to get out of the monstrosity that this dress was.

The attendant followed Kate back and pulled the next dress off the hanger, preparing to help her out of the dress she hated and into the next one. She looked over and said, "Is it okay if I try on the one behind that? I think that looks a little more like me."

The attendant immediately traded the dresses, eager to appease her. "Most definitely!"

The dress fit perfectly, but Kate had yet to turn around and look at herself in the mirror. "Why don't you wait and look in the mirror in front of your family?" the attendant asked her, tears actually in her eyes.

"Okay…" Kate said hesitantly, making her way down the hallway.

"Oh darling, you look exquisite!" Martha told her, eyes shining with tears. Kate's heart gave a slight pang as she wished her own mother were there to share the joy.

"Ooooo girl, Castle isn't going to be able to breath when you come down the aisle in that dress," Lanie said knowingly, actually dabbing a handkerchief at her teary eyes too.

Alexis was the only one who hadn't spoken. "Alexis?" Kate asked nervously, not sure how to take the look on her face.

Alexis' face broke into a huge grin. "You look amazing, Mom!" The name came out so effortlessly, the others may not have caught it, but Kate did.

Kate pulled Alexis close to her and let her own tears fall into Alexis' red hair. "Thank you, honey. You don't have to call me that if you don't want to…" she said nervously, secretly hoping it wasn't a mistake, that Alexis really did think of her as a mom.

"You are more of my mom than Meredith has ever been," Alexis told her, pulling back so she didn't get tears on the dress. "I love you, and I can't wait until the November 2nd! Now, you need to look at the dress. I think you're going to like it."

Kate took a deep breath and turned to face the mirror. Like wasn't a strong enough word. She positively glowed. The dress was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It made her feel radiant. The sweetheart neckline hugged her perfectly. The delicate beading, wasn't overpowering. There was just enough to add a slight sparkle and still hold the simplicity Kate had wanted. The A-line skirt flowed down from the waist, accentuating the Kate's curves and height. As she turned, Kate saw that the back of the dress was just as beautiful. The back dipped down to a "v", stopping at her lower back, making her look toned and tan. It was everything she ever could have dreamed and so much more. Tears filled her eyes and she didn't even bother to try to stop them.

Lanie and Martha came forward to give her their hugs, and Kate tried to remember the moment so she could explain it to Rick after the wedding. He brought her this joy, and he had to know how much it meant to her.

"This is it," Kate told them confidently.

"Are you sure you don't want to try any more on?" Alexis teased.

"Positive." Kate told her. She took her glass from her daughter and toasted with the women she loved. The wedding couldn't get there fast enough. Kate couldn't wait.

Meanwhile, across town, Rick was struggling to maintain his composure when dealing with Pi. "Hey Mr. C? What do you think of this one?" Pi asked, holding up a powder blue tuxedo. "It's totally cool!"

"Thanks Pi, but I'm going to go with simple black." Rick told him, quickly losing his patience.

Pi just looked at him. "You need to have some fun, Mr. C. Gotta spice things up a bit!"

Rick turned to the man helping him, ignoring Pi. "I think I'm going to go with the Armani I tried on first." Simple was always better. He knew Kate would appreciate the lines and the perfect fit.

"Yes, sir. We will make those adjustments for you and let you know when to come in for the fitting."

"Is it okay if I get this one, Mr. C? You won't be jealous?" Rick couldn't believe it. It actually seemed as though Pi thought he would be jealous of that heinous suit.

"Can you find a black one Pi? I really prefer we keep the colors more subdued. Kate wants more fall-like colors and I'm afraid that will clash." He was surprised at how calm he was able to stay when talking to this kid.

"Right on. Right on, man. Gotta keep the ladies happy, don't we? Anything to make almost Mrs. C happy!"

"Exactly," Rick said as he made his way to the front to pay for their purchases.

For Rick the afternoon seemed to take hours, and he was thrilled to walk into the loft and lose Pi as he made his way into his bedroom. He sat on the bed and tried to imagine what kind of dress Kate was going to choose. Rick looked at his watch. _6:47. _He hoped she would be home soon. He always hated when they were apart for too long.

The door opened and Kate popped her head in. "Hey, did you survive?" her eyes sparkled. God, she was beautiful.

"Barely," he joked, patting the space on the bed beside him. She crossed the room quickly and sat down with him.

"I missed you," she told him, placing a kiss delicately on his lips.

"Missed you more," he said confidently. "Did you get a dress?"

She nodded. "I can't wait for you to see it!"

"I know it's not long, but somehow it still feels like forever."

"It will pass quickly. We still have so much to do!" she said, her brow furrowing slightly at the thought.

"We'll get it done. Don't worry, babe."

"As long as I get to spend my nights here, like this," she said as she leaned and placed her head on his shoulder. "I know I don't have anything to worry about."

The truth in her statement was so simple; if possible, it made him love her more. "I love you, Kate."

"I love you too, Rick." They relaxed with one another; enjoying the time they could spend in the quiet of their room, not needing to say a word.

_This chapter was longer than I planned but I just couldn't stop writing! Hope you liked it!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Note: It's hard to express exactly how grateful I am to you for your continued reviews/follows/favorites. I never imagined so many of you would enjoy this story, or that I would be able to love writing any more. Thank you for giving me the confidence to write and for being so kind. As another note, I know it's not entirely realistic that Alexis would call Kate, mom, but I wish she would. I just want to see Alexis acknowledge how much Kate has been there for her when Meredith hasn't, so this is my way of making it happen. I'm pretty sure it won't happen in the show, but a girl can wish! Thanks for putting up with the direction of my story. Would you guys like to see a murder in here somewhere or would you like it to stay fluffier? Let me know!_

**Unfortunately I still don't own Castle. That would be great though…**

Chapter 6.

"Can't I see your dress? Please?" Rick begged her for what felt like the thousandth time that morning.

Kate couldn't help but laugh at her man-child and his impatience. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. _Wedding Countdown: 34 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _"Sure," she told him, watching his mouth turn up in a childlike grin. "In 34 days," she continued as his face fell.

"Spoilsport," Rick told her, before tackling her to the bed. Kate let out a shriek as he tickled her, and accidently slapped him in the chest as she attempted to escape.

"We have to get up," Kate told him in between more squeals.

"Why? We don't have anywhere to be," Rick replied, finally setting her free.

"We still have so much to do! We need to pick flowers, somewhere for the reception, food, cake, we need to choose a DJ or a band, and we need to work on place settings, decorations…"

"Okay, okay," Rick interrupted, standing up and pulling her with him. He pulled her into a tight embrace, taking a moment to enjoy her cherry scented hair and feel her warmth.

Kate loved the feel of her fiancé holding her close. "Hey, Rick…" she said almost hesitantly.

He pulled back slightly so he could look into her face. "Yeah?"

"I forgot to mention something that happened while we were looking at dresses."

"Okay…" Rick was trying to read her face, unsure of what she was about to tell him.

"Alexis…she called me Mom," she smiled up at him, taking in his now sparkling blue eyes.

"That's great, Kate! She really loves you, you know. I think things were strained there for a bit, but when push comes to shove, you mean a lot to her. Meredith hasn't really been there for her much, and you have. I couldn't be happier right now," he finished before pulling her to him again.

"Me either," she said, grinning into his chest. "Now, let's go taste some cake! I called ahead to the bakery down the block. They are going to have samples of a few different cakes and fillings so we can decide. Then we can look at the designs and see what we like."

"Sounds good to me! I have no problem sitting around tasting cake!"

"You really are a child," she laughed, shaking her head at him. "But I'm not going to lie, I'm excited to sit around and eat cake too."

"I knew it!" he exclaimed as she pulled him into the living room that currently resembled grand central station with all the chaos. Pi looked like he had all of the contents of the refrigerator out on the counter and was currently blending…something that was green while Alexis flitted around the space attempting to help. Martha was across the room running through lines with one of her students, seemingly unaware of the noise around her.

"Hey, Mr. C!" Pi shouted over the blender. "Can I interest you and the almost Mrs. C in a broccoli avocado shake?"

Alexis gazed at him adoringly, and then turn to look at Rick and Kate, waiting for their answers. Rick tried to hide his involuntary shudder, and seemed successful with the exception of Kate who turned to laugh into his shoulder. "I think we will pass, Pi. Thanks though. We are actually heading out to go try some wedding cake. Gotta save room." With that he tried to quickly steer Kate out of the loft to the safety of the hall.

"Bye!" called Alexis and Pi together as Rick and Kate waved before shutting the door.

Rick leaned against the door and let out a heavy sigh. "Are you sure I can't just kick him out?" he asked Kate hopefully.

"It'll only make it worse," she told him, tugging him toward the elevator. He sighed again and followed her. "Just think, you get to have cake. Martha and Alexis get to enjoy that broccoli avocado shake. I'm pretty sure you're lucking out."

"True," Rick smirked. He really was looking forward to having cake.

"Hmm what are you thinking, babe?" Rick asked Kate as he sampled a piece of red velvet cake as she took a bite of a sinfully rich chocolate piece. They had been enjoying samples for the past thirty minutes, both having a difficult time narrowing down their choices.

"There are so many to choose from," she began, scanning the plates in front of them. The head baker had discreetly gone back to the kitchen to give them a few moments alone to discuss their selection. "I'm kind of partial to the red velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting as the filling," she informed him. "I know she said the cream cheese frosting would make things a little more difficult, but it was so good!"

Rick glanced at her, putting on a concerned face. "Are you sure, Kate? We really don't want to be difficult, do we?"

Kate's face fell. "I guess not, but I just figured…"

"I'm teasing! Trust me, it will be wonderful. She wouldn't have given us the option if she thought it was that difficult. The red velvet was my favorite too, good choice!"

She punched him in the arm. "You had me fooled for a minute there Mr. Castle. Now what do you want to do about design?

"Well. I think you should pull those pictures you have hidden out of your purse so we can look at them in decide."

"How did you know I put them in there?" she blushed. Kate had thought she was so smooth too. She was slightly embarrassed about how much she was getting into making these decisions and how excited she was for their big day. Kate hadn't ever thought she would be _that_ girl. She supposed anyone could be _that_ girl if they found the right guy, and she knew she had.

"You don't fool me," he told her. "I happened to catch a glimpse on our walk over here. I'm glad you brought them, and I'm glad you are excited." Kate didn't know how, but Rick always knew what she was thinking. She chose to ignore this though and pulled out the pictures, handing them over to her fiancé.

They both sat there staring at the two pictures Kate had pulled from her magazine the night before. One cake was classic white with three, square tiers. It had monogramed initials centered on the top tier, and small swirls tastefully scattered throughout the cake. It was relatively simple, yet elegant. The other picture was slightly more extravagant. It had an almost golden hue with four, round tiers. There were intricate flowers all over the cake, in colors of red and orange. Rick and Kate turned to each other and both said, "I like the first one," at the same time. They laughed at their habit of doing this.

"First one it is," Rick said as the baker made her way back into the showroom. "We've decided on red velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting, and we brought this picture. If you could do something similar, I think we would love it."

The woman looked at the picture and smiled, "I can definitely do this Mr. Castle. Are there any colors you want incorporated?"

Rick and Kate turned to one another. "We haven't really decided on colors yet," she told the woman, guiltily. "We kind of forgot that part."

"That's alright my dear," the kind old woman told her. "Why don't you two discuss it and you can give me a call later on today or tomorrow?"

"Perfect, thank you," Rick said, standing up and shaking the woman's hand.

The couple left the shop and began to stroll down the street. "I know you were thinking fall colors," Rick mentioned, linking hands with Kate.

"I do really love the reds, and oranges," she said. "But I kind of had an idea."

"Do tell."

"What if we have the majority of the decorations black and white, then do the accents, like flowers in the fall colors. That way we will have that classic feel with a fall twist." Kate looked up at him as they walked, waiting for his response.

"I think that sounds perfect. We can call the shop later on today to let her know. So how do you want that on the cake?"

"Maybe just have that black and white. Our monogram can be black like the swirls that are on the rest of the cake. Then we could put the fall color flowers on the cake table or something like that."

"Are you sure you don't want to be a wedding planner?" Rick teased, poking their joined hands into her side.

"Oh yea, I definitely want to plan weddings now that I don't have a job. I'd probably get so annoyed with bridezillas and threaten to pull my gun. I'd be a great wedding planner!" They laughed together at the thought and Kate shook her head a moment before leaning it on Rick's shoulder. "What am I going to do? As much fun as planning our wedding is, I need to find a job for after our honeymoon. Stupid hiring freeze. I wish I could go back to the NYPD. Better yet, I wish I hadn't ever left. You would never have almost died, and things wouldn't be messed up now jobwise."

"Kate, listen to me. I know you still feel like the whole Bronson thing was your fault. But it wasn't. It was mine. I am the one who stuck my nose where it didn't belong. If you hadn't gone to D.C. we probably wouldn't be as good as we are right now. You know you would have resented me for staying eventually. No, there isn't a job for you at the NYPD right now, but that doesn't mean that will always be the case. For all we know the hiring freeze will be lifted next week and Captain Gates will be calling you, begging for her star detective back. If that doesn't happen, we will figure something else out that will make you happy. I promise you," he told her as he planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you," Kate let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. "Thanks for believing in me and supporting me through everything."

"Hey, that's what partners do," Rick said as he bent his head to kiss her.

His words echoed McCord's from the hospital and Kate knew he was right. No matter what happened in work or in life, she and Rick would be partners through it all. It was as simple as that. With him around, she felt safe, happy, content, and as though she could take on any challenge.

"And you know," Rick paused on the sidewalk outside of a baby boutique. "We could always have a couple kids…that would keep you busy for awhile!"

Kate's stomach clenched and she looked up into his eyes, trying to figure out if he was serious. "A couple kids?" she managed to sputter. His blue eyes were dancing now, enjoying the look of mild horror on her face.

"Yeah! What do you think, Kate? I know we haven't really talked about it before, but I think I'd like to do the dad thing again with you."

"You're serious?"

"Yeah…" He waited, unsure of how this conversation was going to end.

Kate flung her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. "A couple of kids sounds perfect, Rick. I figured since you had Alexis, you wouldn't want to start all over again, so I talked myself out of wanting kids. I never really thought about kids before, until I was with you. You're so great with Alexis, and make me feel like I could do it - " she was interrupted by yet another kiss.

"Just when I think I can't get any happier, you surprise me, Kate!" he pulled her close to him and took a step towards the building so they could move out of the way of the family that was approaching them.

Kate smiled up at the love of her life and dragged him forward, picking up her pace.

"What's your hurry?" he asked, tripping over the uneven sidewalk in his haste to keep up with her.

"Well, I happen to know the loft will be empty by now, and if we are going to have a baby, we need to go practice," she said seductively.

"We might need to practice a lot," Rick said as he quickened his pace, taking the lead and dragging a laughing Kate behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

_Note: You guys are great! Your reviews make me laugh, and smile! I had yesterday and today off of work, so I figured, why not write more? This is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do, mostly because of your encouragement. Thanks for the reviews and continued reading and support! I found this quote today and figured, since you all seem to love reading as much as me, I might as well share it. "Life is like a novel. It's filled with suspense. You have no idea what is going to happen until you turn the page." – Sidney Sheldon_

**Maybe Marlowe will share Castle with me. Ok, probably not, but a girl can dream, right?**

Chapter 7.

Kate felt the sunlight hit her through the curtains and rolled over to be spooned by her fiancé. She saw her clock blinking, _Wedding Countdown: 30 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Time was flying by. They were getting married in the New York Public Library, she had a dress, he had a tuxedo, they had chosen a cake, but there was still so much to do. The last couple of days had been a blur of getting her boxes of things sent from D.C., unpacking, and practicing their baby making skills. Definitely not a bad way to spend a couple days, not bad at all, she smiled to herself. Kate felt Rick's arm tighten around her stomach and she breathed out a sigh of contentment, taking in the moment of extreme comfort. He pressed his nose into the back of her neck and Kate turned around in greeting, giving him a long kiss.

"Good morning, handsome," she told him when she finally pulled away.

"Morning," he said sleepily, hugging her to him. "I could really get used to our lazy mornings."

"Ha, me too. As much as I miss going into work, it is pretty nice to be able to cuddle with you in the mornings." Kate was about to speak again when the door came open and Martha came in carrying a tray of breakfast. Kate let out a slight squeak and pulled the covers up over her, even though she was currently wearing Rick's oldest Batman t-shirt.

"Oh Darling, don't worry about me. I'm just bringing you two breakfast before I'm off to another class!"

"Mother, haven't we talked about this?" Rick asked, annoyed with how quickly she seemed to have forgotten her promise to knock.

"You needn't worry, Richard. As I told you before, there's nothing going on in here I haven't seen or done myself."

"Cuz that makes it better," Rick muttered to Kate who let out a small laugh.

With that, Pi burst into the room, thankfully fully clothed this time. "Hey Mr. C, almost Mrs. C! Do you want a smoothie with your breakfast? Al said you probably wouldn't but I had to come check to make sure. Didn't want to be rude!"

Rick turned to Kate who was still half hidden under the covers. "He didn't want to be rude?" he asked her quietly in disbelief before turning back to Pi. "No, Pi, we're good, but thanks. I'm pretty sure we had the knocking talk with you too…"

"Well, yea, Mr. C, but the door was open, so I figured, why not?"

With that, Alexis too made her way into their now extremely crowded bedroom. "What's everyone doing?" she asked looking around.

"I was bringing these two kids breakfast," Martha explained. "And Pi was checking to see if they wanted smoothies."

"Yes," Rick said, annoyed. "Everyone has decided to make themselves quite comfortable."

"Well, Dad, when you get a sec, can you guys come out to the living room? Pi and I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure, Pumpkin," Rick told her, giving his mother and Pi a look that clearly said, _get out._

When they had all filed out of the room, Rick got up to close and lock the door. "You would think I would have learned to lock the door," he told Kate, shaking his head.

"Well, at least they didn't come in while we were practicing," Kate responded, a glint in her eye.

"If they would have been a minute or two later, they probably would have," Rick pouted.

Kate laughed. "We have plenty of time for that. We really should get some more planning done today. According to my nifty little clock, we only have 30 days to go! Plus we need to get dressed so we can see what Alexis and Pi want to talk to us about."

"Yeah. I wonder what this is about," Rick said, sitting down and shoveling eggs into his mouth.

Kate took a sip of her coffee before helping herself to some of the eggs. "I guess we have to get dressed and find out."

Rick was very much in his head as they moved with ease around each other, so familiar with where the other was moving. Kate knew that even though they had minutes to go before finding out what Alexis had to say that her fiancé was working himself up. She laid a hand on his shoulder as she made her way to the bathroom to put on her make up. "It's going to be fine, Rick. There's no use worrying until you know what they are going to say."

"What if she's…pregnant? Or…God, Kate."

"Rick. Stop. It won't be anything like that." She really hoped not. She was new to this whole mom thing, and she didn't know if she could handle helping Alexis and Rick through something like that right now. Kate swiped some mascara on her lashes and pulled Rick towards the door. "Let's see what this is about."

Martha was nowhere to be seen. She must have left already, Kate thought to herself, wondering if this was on purpose so they could have privacy for whatever conversation was to come. Alexis and Pi were sitting on the couch, heads together in quiet conversation, which stopped as soon as they heard Rick and Kate enter the room.

"Why don't you guys come join us?" Alexis asked, gesturing to the couch across from her and Pi.

Rick squeezed Kate's hand as they made their way over, sitting down across from the young couple.

"Alexis. What's going on?" Rick asked his daughter. "You're scaring me."

"Dad, it's nothing to be scared of," she smiled at Pi. "It's good news, really."

"What's up, Alexis?" Kate asked now, wishing they would hurry up and just spit it out.

Pi took Alexis' hand and she took a deep breath. "Well, you know how we talked the other day about you guys needing some privacy? Pi and I talked about everything and we decided that not only did you guys deserve some privacy, we needed some too. So, we found an apartment, signed the lease, and are moving out this weekend." She said the last part quickly, and hastened a glance across the coffee table at her father.

Rick sat there in stunned silence. "You're moving in with Pi? Alexis, what?" he stumbled across the last words, not sure exactly what he was saying.

Alexis appeared to be trying to calm herself down, nerves threatening to boil over. "You said it yourself Dad, we don't really give you guys any privacy. The loft is like grand central station half the time. I'll still come visit, and stay for holidays and things like that, but I think it's time I have my own place. Pi is part of that deal now too, Dad. Can you please try to understand?" she pleaded, shooting Kate a hopeful look, almost willing her to intervene on her behalf.

Kate looked over at the stunned Rick, and contemplated what to say, hoping she wasn't about to overstep. "Alexis, you're almost 20. We can't exactly tell you what to do anymore, but I want to make sure you have really, truly considered what you're doing. Living with anyone can be difficult," she paused and elbowed Rick, "especially someone you are dating." This didn't really make him smile, but it did seem to wake him up from his trancelike state.

"Kate's right, Alexis. I can't tell you what to do. If this is what you want, what you really want, I'm going to support you." Rick turned to Pi now. "And you remember that the almost Mrs. C used to be a cop and is very good with her gun."

Pi wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he said, "uh sure thing, Mr. C. I'll take care of Al."

"Thanks, Dad," Alexis grinned, launching herself over to envelope him in a bear hug. She turned to hug Kate too before standing up and pulling Pi with her. "We're going to go look at some furniture for our new place. We'll be back later. Maybe we can all grab dinner or something tonight?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure thing, Pumpkin," Rick told her, watching as his daughter left with her soon to be live in boyfriend.

As the door closed behind them, Kate turned to Rick. "You handled that remarkably well, babe. You okay?"

"My little girl is going to live with Mr. I-think-spelling-stifles-creativity," Rick sighed. "How did this happen?"

"Little girls grow up, Rick. It will work out. I really don't think Pi will be the guy for her. We just need to let her ride this relationship out. I hope I didn't overstep with that whole situation…" she trailed off, lifting her legs to place them in his lap.

Rick absentmindedly rubbed her leg. "No, no you didn't. You helped actually. I couldn't get my brain to connect with my mouth in order to talk."

Kate laughed. "You? Unable to talk? I thought that was weird! And nice touch with the gun angle - hopefully that will keep him in check."

He tickled the bottom of her foot, and watched her squirm, before turning serious again. "What do you think we should do?"

"About Alexis?"

"About our living situation," he glanced over at the surprised expression on her face. "I mean, I love it here, and we've been here for a while, but I want to make sure wherever we are you are comfortable, and we could be happy raising a family. If Alexis is going to move out, I don't know if this place will really be the same."

Kate hadn't ever thought of them living anywhere but the loft. She considered him for a moment before speaking. Rick just waited and watched as her mind processed this new information. "Are you sure you want to think about leaving this place, Rick?"

"I don't really know. I think we should consider it though. What if we have four more kids? This won't really be big enough." He laughed watching her face pale at this.

"F-four?" she sputtered.

"I'm teasing Kate, unless that's what you want. It's just something to think about. Do you want to raise your, I mean our kids here?"

"I love the loft as much as you do, Rick. But, if you want to look elsewhere, I'd be open to that." Kate decided to let the four kids comment go for now. They could discuss _that_ later.

"What do you say we go at least see what's out there? Then we can make a decision on whether or not we want to move."

"I think that's fair," she leaned forward and brushed a kiss against his cheek. "It's been a crazy morning already, hasn't it?"

He pulled her into his lap, moving her hair and kissing the back of her neck softly. "Yes, yes it has. We still have wedding plans to make though, and now, to add to it, new homes to visit."

Kate relaxed into him and sighed. "Do we really need to do it now? I'm so comfortable right here. And it's so quiet!"

"We can think about some of the things right now. Where would you like to have the reception? All we have to do is decide, and I can make a call to get the ball rolling."

She thought for a moment. "What do you think about having it at the Old Haunt? Is that weird? Having a reception at a bar?"

Rick considered her a moment. "No, I don't think it's weird. I happen to know the owner," he smirked, causing her to laugh. "I know he would be okay closing it for the day and having different tables brought in. It wouldn't be bad at all. We will hire someone to clear out the tables, bring new ones in, get all of our place settings brought in and a dance floor. I'm liking the sound of this more and more!"

"It sounds perfect, between that and the library, I think this wedding is going to scream Caskett!" Kate told him and felt his laughter as she leaned into him. "We still have some time before we have to meet the florist, what do you say we get some practice in?" Rick didn't need to be told twice. He scooped her up and swept away into the bedroom.

The florist had taken longer than their appointment at the bakery. It seemed as though each thought Kate had regarding flowers was impractical because of the time of year they were getting married. Eventually, however, Kate decided on a combination of dark red dahlias, golden black-eyed Susans, yellow and orange calla lilies, purple trachelium and orange roses. All of these flowers would be in her bridal bouquet and various other combinations would be in the centerpieces for the tables and decorating the room in which they would be married. Rick and Kate were thrilled with the way the accents would look with their overall black and white theme.

Rick had received a text from Alexis saying she and Pi would meet them for dinner at Remy's so they were strolling around the city, killing time until they were supposed to meet.

"We just need to figure out food, bridesmaids dresses, a photographer, a videographer, gifts for the bridal party, and favors. Right? Am I forgetting anything?" Kate asked as they strolled down the street hand in hand.

"I think so. We can set up a tasting and have different caterers come to us at the Old Haunt if that sounds good. I don't think you want to have bar food at our reception, am I right?"

"You're right," she grinned, "even though I don't really care what we serve. Can we really have the caterers all come to us?"

"You bet," he told her, squeezing her hand and pulling it up to hold over his heart. "Anything you want my love."

"I can't believe how quickly this is all coming together," Kate told him as they walked in the door at Remy's, looking around for Alexis and Pi. When they didn't see them, Rick steered her to their favorite booth in the back so they could sit and wait for the others to join them.

"What do you want to do for gifts for the guys?" Kate asked, leaning into Rick's shoulder as they sat down.

"Should I get them their own laser tag vests and guns?" Rick weighed the idea as Kate shook her head at her man-child. "Come on, that would be awesome! We could have laser tag parties!"

"Are you guys ever going to grow up?" she questioned her fiancé.

"Doubtful," Rick told her. "You don't want me to grow up. You love me and my childlike qualities," he teased.

"You're right, I do."

"Knew it. I'll figure something out for them, don't worry. What are you gonna get the girls?"

"They were all admiring these necklaces at the bridal boutique, so I was thinking about getting those. That way they can wear them at the wedding and hopefully still use them later on."

"Sounds good to me. Are you going to do that with their dresses too? Let them get something they'll wear again or are you going to get them hideous dresses that will cause them to secretly hate you?"

Kate laughed. "I actually told them to go pick them by themselves. I just told them they had to be black and knee-length. I want them to be in dresses that they love and feel comfortable in. I think it will be more fun to see their individual styles played out."

"You're too kind!" Rick said as he checked his watch. Alexis and Pi were now ten minutes late. That wasn't like her.

"Why don't you call her?" Kate asked, noting Rick's concern.

"I'm sure she's fine," he assured her, looking over at the door.

Rick and Kate sat there for another twenty minutes waiting on Alexis and Pi to no avail. Rick finally decided to call Alexis and the phone went right to voicemail. "Kate, I'm starting to get worried."

"Does Pi have a phone?" Kate wondered, placing a hand over Rick's to calm him.

"No," his brow furrowed and he tried Alexis' phone again. "Still goes to voicemail."

"Maybe her phone died, Rick. We're probably worrying for nothing. Why don't we leave a note at the door here in case they come later, and head home to check if they're there."

Rick nodded silently, and allowed himself to be steered to the front of the diner.

"Thanks, Kate," he told her, hugging her to his side.

"Always," she replied simply as they headed home to look for their daughter.


	8. Chapter 8

_Note: Thank you everyone for your support and reviews! I'm having so much fun writing this story, and I'm glad to see there are people who enjoy reading it. To those who have asked, I do plan on following this story at least through the honeymoon, and I will see if it continues from there. I'm letting the story take me where it wants to go! Thanks again, you guys are great!_

**Sadly, I still don't own Castle.**

Chapter 8.

Kate glanced over at Rick who was pacing back and forth in the loft.

"It's like Paris all over again," she heard him mutter and crossed the room quickly to throw her arms around him.

"We don't know that, Rick. Her phone probably died and they could have just gotten distracted and forgotten about dinner."

"This is Alexis we are talking about. The most prepared, practical kid in the world. She doesn't just forget things."

"You're right, but she's also a young girl in love. People do crazy things when they're in love," she thought about the last time she said this. Kate and Agent McCord had been talking about the Bronson case, and now here she was trying to convince Rick that this was the reason his little girl wasn't home and wasn't answering his calls and texts.

Rick gave her a half smile that didn't make it's way to his eyes. She knew he was thinking about all of the things they had done for one another because of the love they shared. "The sane part of me wants to believe that, Kate. But the father in me that still hasn't recovered from what happened in Paris is having a hard time with that. If anything ever happened to Alexis…" he trailed off.

"I know, babe, I know." Kate told him, pulling him close and feeling him shake. They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

Kate crossed the room quickly and found herself looking at Ryan and Esposito. "Hey guys, what are you doing here?"

"Castle texted and said Alexis was missing," Esposito said as they walked into the loft and spotted the pacing man.

Rick shot Kate a guilty look. "I'm sorry, I just…I just wanted somebody else to look for her too."

She nodded in understanding; grateful their friends cared enough to drop whatever they were working on to come help. They all moved over to sit down on the couch, each waiting for someone else to speak. Ryan finally gave in. "So what happened, guys?"

Rick turned to Kate, his gaze asking her to fill them in. "We had a meeting with the florist, and were out and about so Alexis and Pi were going to meet us for dinner. We walked around for a while, killing time until we were supposed to see them, and got to Remy's and they weren't there. We waited for over thirty minutes for them and tried calling Alexis. Her phone went straight to voicemail. You guys know her; she's a responsible kid. This isn't like her. We are probably worried for nothing, but after Paris…" she trailed off and squeezed Rick's hand.

The guys looked at each other. "We can try to track her phone, but it'll be harder if it's off. Do you have any idea what they were doing today?" Esposito asked, looking at Rick's pale face.

"They were going to look for furniture for their new apartment," Rick answered.

Ryan and Esposito shared a look. Rick seemed to understand. "Yeah, she's moving in with Pi."

Ryan nodded and Esposito spat out, "She's going to live with the fruit guy?

Kate laughed despite her worry. "That was our reaction too, Espo."

He just shook his head before standing up. "Why don't you guys stay here for now for when she comes home?" Kate was thankful to hear the _when_ as opposed to an _if_. She stood and followed them to the door, noting that Rick hadn't moved off of the couch and was still staring at the ground.

"Thanks for coming guys," she told them gratefully, as she opened the door.

"Hey, anything for you and Castle," Esposito said.

"Yeah, we miss having you at the precinct," Ryan added.

"We miss being there," Kate said, honestly. "Hopefully that hiring freeze will be over soon and we can get back to where we were."

Esposito and Ryan smiled at her. "That'd be great, Becks," Ryan said.

"Don't worry about your girl," Esposito said loud enough for Castle to hear. "We'll find her."

They turned and left the loft, Kate closing and locking the door behind them before walking back over to sit on the couch next to Rick.

"Hey," Kate said, placing her hand under his chin to lift his eyes to hers. "She's okay, Rick, I know she is."

He nodded numbly and her heart broke. "Good call with the guys," she nudged him, and was disappointed to see his gaze had found the floor again. Rick was the one who held it together, who joked to make situations more bearable. She hated seeing him look so broken.

The evening turned into night with still no word from Alexis. Kate could feel the panic rising in Rick as each minute ticked by. He refused dinner, and still hadn't spoken since Esposito and Ryan had left the loft. She talked to him quietly, trying to reassure him that things would be okay, while eventually starting to doubt her own words.

Ryan had called an hour ago to say that they had been unable to trace Alexis' phone. Rick hadn't even moved when she told him the news, he had just continued to stare at the ground. Kate was sitting beside him again, her hand absentmindedly stroking the back of his head as she dialed Alexis again. Voicemail. Again.

Rick turned suddenly and looked at her, tears beginning to fall down his face. Her heart broke. "What if…" he began, looking into her eyes to try to find an answer.

"We aren't going to think like that, Rick. The guys are out looking for her and we will be sitting here when she gets home." At this he leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder. He looked like a sad, scared little boy. Kate hugged him and rubbed his back, trying to offer any comfort she could.

The door flung open and they both jumped up to see Martha striding towards them. "Anything yet?" she questioned worriedly.

"No," Kate told her as Rick sank back down into the couch.

Martha marched over and stood in front of her son. "Richard. Look at me." He glanced up obediently. "Alexis is her father's daughter. I am sure she is fine. If I remember correctly, you gave me a fright or two by not showing up where and when you said you would."

Rick looked back down again. "That's different, Mother. Alexis is different. After Paris…" he trailed off, placing his head in his hands.

"Richard, that girl may be different but she has enough of her father in her to be okay. I know it."

Kate shot Martha a hopeful look, and willed herself to believe her almost mother-in-law's words. She was trying to put up a brave façade but was feeling it start to crumble as the clock clicked past midnight and onto another day, a day where they still didn't know where their daughter was.

Martha sat down on the other side of her son and Kate took that as her cue to sit again too. They sat together in silence for what felt like hours; Rick's hand making it's way to twist through Kate's and her head leaning on his shoulder. She was starting to nod off when the door opened again. All three sprung off the couch and saw Alexis making her way into the entryway.

"Alexis!" Rick exclaimed, rushing over to hug his daughter.

As Kate walked towards them, quickly followed by Martha, she took in Alexis' haggard appearance.

"What happened? Where have you been?" Rick questioned urgently, looking her over, assuring himself she was in one piece.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy," she whimpered. "I didn't have my charger, and my phone died, and I lost track of time."

Rick pulled Alexis to him and let out a heavy sigh. "I was so worried Alexis. All I could think about was Paris. Don't ever let this happen again." Kate could see them both shaking as she stepped forward to envelope the two in a hug.

"What happened, Alexis?" she asked, wanting to know what would cause this level headed girl to stay out all day and not find a way to contact them, especially knowing everything they had been through when she had been kidnapped.

Tears were running down Alexis' face now as Martha took her turn to hug her granddaughter, carefully leading the rest of them back to the couch.

"Pi…" Alexis began before Rick interrupted her.

"What did he do? I'll kill him," Rick said, anger coursing through him.

"He didn't hurt me or anything, Daddy," Alexis told him quietly. They knew she had to be upset. She only called him Daddy when something was wrong or bothering her. "Pi and I had a fight," Alexis continued. Kate placed a hand on Rick's leg to keep him from interrupting. "We broke up and I was just so upset. I went to our new place, or my new place I guess now, and sat there crying. I guess I cried myself to sleep, and when I woke up I couldn't call because my phone was dead. I'm so sorry," she sobbed, curling into her father as he hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Alexis may be heartbroken, but she was there, safe, and otherwise unharmed. Martha rubbed her granddaughter's back before standing up. "I think I am going to get some sleep, now that we are all home. You should think about doing the same," she told them before heading up the stairs.

"Are you okay, Pumpkin?" Rick asked Alexis, his eyes searching her face. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Can we talk in the morning?" she asked him, exhaustion clearly taking over.

Rick glanced at Kate who gave him a reassuring nod. "Sure, Lex. Get some sleep."

Alexis turned to climb the stairs and Rick and Kate called, "Love you!" at the same time. They smiled at each other, relief from their crazy evening etched on both faces.

"Love you guys too," Alexis told them before disappearing from view.

They sat for a moment in silence, torn between emotions of excitement that Pi was seemingly out of the picture and stress because of the night they'd had and worry over how Alexis was going to handle the break up. Kate spoke first. "Hell of a night, Mr. Castle." She quickly shot a text to Esposito and Ryan letting them know Alexis was safe and home.

He leaned back, his head resting on the back of the coach, pulling her into his side. "No kidding. Thanks for being the calm one. I don't know what I would have done without you." Rick sat up and looked at her, tears in his eyes again.

"Hey, she's okay," Kate reassured him, pulling his head to her chest.

"I was so scared," he confessed.

"I know, babe. But everything's okay now. Alexis is home, she is safe. Looks like we may finally be rid of Pi," she joked and saw amusement in his eyes for the first time in what felt like days even though it had only been hours.

"I guess that's one positive. No more random fruit smoothies, or half naked Pi walking into our bedroom to chat." He smiled slightly at this thought. He hadn't been that scared in awhile, but at least now fruit man was gone.

They stood up and made their way to their bedroom, Kate glancing at the clock by her side of the bed. "And you know, there's one other thing we have going for us," he glanced over at her in question. "There's only 29 days until I'm Mrs. Richard Castle!"

Rick's smile spread to his eyes and they sparkled. "So close yet so far," he said, sitting on the bed.

"It'll be here before we know it."

_This chapter didn't exactly go the way I had thought, but I think it turned out the way I wanted. Please let me know what you think!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Note: I know I keep saying this but you guys continue to amaze me. I never would have thought when I started this that I would have written so much in such a short amount of time and that so many of you would have read it! Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/followed/made this story a favorite, I am so grateful for all of you! I'm having a lazy Sunday and felt like writing more, enjoy! _

**Still don't own Castle.**

Chapter 9.

The clock blinked, _Wedding Countdown: 25 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Kate couldn't believe how quickly time was passing. After all of the worry with Alexis, the last few days had been a blur. She had gone with Alexis to choose her bridesmaids dress, which fit her perfectly. It was black, with a sweetheart neckline and simple spaghetti straps. The dress was fitted through the bodice and flowed out from the waist. It had been a moment of bonding for the duo, and Kate was left feeling more motherly afterwards.

The day had been a difficult one for Alexis, as it was the day after her breakup with Pi. Kate had tried her best to explain to Alexis that break ups happen, even when you least expect them. She hadn't expected Alexis to become teary and ask if Kate ever thought that would happen with her and Rick. As startled as she was by the question she was even more startled to see how worried Alexis seemed to be. Kate had done her best to reassure her daughter that she and Rick were different, that after everything they had been through together, there was no way anything was going to tear them apart. Alexis had seemed comforted by this, and Kate was glad to see how much their relationship had evolved.

Rick brought her back to the present with a light touch on her lower back. "Everything all right?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, sorry, lost in thought," Kate told him.

"Anything you want to share with the class?"

"I was just thinking about dress shopping with Alexis. I think I forgot to tell you about it." He had been busy talking to Paula about keeping the press away from their wedding when she had gotten home. That was a conversation she wanted him to handle, so she had left him to it and been distracted by their…_practicing_ afterwards and hadn't thought to bring it up.

"Oh?" he sat on the bed and pulled her down next to him.

"Lex and I were talking about break ups and how they happen to everyone, and she seemed worried that one day you and I would break up," she said, reaching out to hold his hand between hers.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her you and I are different. We've been through more in our short time together than most people have been through in a lifetime, and there is nothing that can tear us apart."

Rick smiled over at her. "You're right. From freezers to bomb buddies and everything before, in between, and after, we are partners through and through."

"Yes, we are. Always."

"I never get tired of hearing that."

"Hearing what?"

"Always. It's us. I could probably hear it a thousand times from you in one day, and I would want to hear it again."

Kate laughed. "That's why we work so well together."

They were quiet for a few minutes, just sitting there, enjoying each other's company. "We still have decisions to make for the wedding, don't we?" Kate asked, getting up off of the bed and pulling Rick with her.

He looked at his watch. "Yeah, we actually have to meet with the photographer and videographer in half an hour. We need to decide if we want a DJ or a band too…"

"What do you want?"

"Honestly, Kate, it doesn't matter to me. I think our friends and family will enjoy either one. All that matters to me is you being happy. I don't care what we dance to as long as the dance is with you."

"Corn ball," she teased, trying to cover up the fact that his words could still bring flashes of heat to her cheeks.

"You love it," Rick teased back, poking her in the stomach.

"Caught me," she said, leaning into his side. "Okay then. How about a band? There was that great string quartet at one of the launch parties last year…do you think they would be good?"

"Definitely," Rick told her, nodding in agreement. "Let me make some calls. If I can't find them, I know Paula can."

"Speaking of Paula, is everything okay with the press stuff? I forgot to ask you the other day."

He grinned mischievously. "If I remember correctly, we were slightly distracted after that. But yes, everything is fine. Paula knows that we want this to be a private affair. There won't be any press at all. If it's okay with you, we will release one photo, of our choosing, with an official statement that says we were married."

Kate nodded in agreement. "I think I can handle that."

"Good! That's a couple more items ticked off of our list. Hey! I forgot to ask. I had an idea and wanted to see what you thought."

"Okay…" she waited, unsure of the direction this was going.

"Apparently you can rent those photo booth things, and I thought that would be fun to have at the reception. I looked into it, and instead of a boring guestbook where people just write their names, we can have a book that people put one of their pictures in and sign, and then they get their own copy. They bring costumes and or props that people can use too, so it's kinda fun. What do you think?"

Kate was quiet for a moment, thinking. "I think that sounds great! Can we request some murder props? Toy guns, caution tape, funny things like that? I think that would be very…us."

She could see his excitement rising. "That sounds…AWESOME! Oh man, people are going to love this," he exclaimed, pulling her towards the door so they could make their appointment with the photographer. "I'll call to book it and see if they can do that. If not, it shouldn't be too hard for us to get props of our own."

They plotted props on their way down to the car, and continued laughing about the possibilities on their trip to the photographer's studio. Their laughter somehow brought Kate's thoughts back to the bridal party gifts. "Did you decide what you are going to get the guys?

His childlike smile answered her question before his words. "Yeah, I'm gonna go with the laser tag idea. I think they'll love it."

She shook her head, knowing perfectly well the boys would in fact really enjoy those gifts. "Children," she teased, only acting as though she disapproved.

"Did you get the necklaces for the girls?" he asked, turning to look at her as he pulled up to a red light.

"Yeah. I waited until Alexis was in the dressing room when we were back at the boutique. She has no idea!" Kate was proud of herself for keeping it a secret. She knew the hard part would come later with Lanie trying to get her opinion on jewelry to wear. It was bound to happen.

He smiled, and they spent the rest of the ride to the studio in a comfortable silence. When they pulled up, Kate was surprised to see that the building looked like an old warehouse. The blue exterior was extremely faded, and the landscaping left her wondering when the last time someone had bothered to water the flowers. There was only one car parked outside, and she was left with a feeling of concern. Where had Rick gotten the name for this guy? She noticed Rick shooting her a look before they walked up the sidewalk. Kate tripped on the uneven concrete and glared at him. So far she was not impressed.

Opening the front door made Kate laugh at herself. She should have known better than to doubt her fiancé. There were beautiful bridal portraits covering the walls. She didn't know much about cameras or other photography equipment, but everything certainly appeared to be top of the line.

"You must be Rick and Kate," the short, balding man with glasses said as he hurried over to shake their hands.

"Yes," Rick said, smiling. "And you must be Anton?"

"Yes, sir. I am so excited to have the two of you here. Please, sit," he gestured to a black leather couch next to him. "Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? Pop?"

Rick looked at Kate who nodded. "Coffee for both of us please."

They sat as Anton flitted around the room making coffee and bringing it over to them. Kate noticed the photo books on the coffee table in front of them and started flipping through.

"These are amazing," she whispered, half to herself, half to Rick.

He grinned. "Anton is the best in the business."

The small man positively beamed at him. "Thank you, sir."

"Rick, please," he told Anton.

"What is it you two want on your special day?"

Rick turned to Kate, nudging her to pull her attention to their conversation. "I think we want full day coverage," he said, looking at Kate who nodded.

"We want to do a first look photo before the ceremony," Kate told him, and Anton grinned.

"Such a wonderful opportunity!" he practically bounced. "I normally have to convince my clients this is the way to go. When you first see each other, dressed for the day, it can be very emotional, and this is the best way to catch it on tape and in pictures."

Rick nodded. "We thought so too. I want the moment I see Kate for the first time in her wedding dress to be well documented."

Kate blushed, and Anton beamed at them. "Do you have any more questions for me?"

"Is your partner here?" Rick asked, turning slightly to address Kate with his second statement. "Anton's business partner is a videographer. Paul is highly recommended as well, so I figured we would use the two of them."

"Sounds good to me," she told him. Rick certainly seemed to know the best people to contact. She supposed money really did talk when it came to planning weddings, especially when they were pretty much last minute.

"Paul is actually out on a job at the moment," Anton began. "But he asked if I would show you his work so you could be sure."

Rick and Kate settled back to watch bits and pieces from various weddings. Kate hadn't been sure she wanted their day captured on video, but after the first one, she was mesmerized, and already imagining how much better the video would be when it was their day. "This is perfect," she smiled over at Rick, who squeezed her knee happily.

"I guess we're all set, Anton, just tell us where to sign."

The drive home seemed rather quick with all of their excitement about the photographer and videographer.

"Everything is really coming together," Rick told her as they pulled into their underground garage.

"It's all better than I could have ever imagined," Kate said, following him into the elevator.

Before she knew it, Rick had her pressed up against the back wall, taking her breath away. Kate felt the fire start in the pit of her stomach and groaned as he trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone. The doors opened all too soon, and their breath was haggard as they stumbled like two drunks to their front door.

"We still need to look at places," he told her as he pushed the door open. "Tomorrow?"

She nodded, still unable to speak.

"Pi, get out!" Alexis shrieked, drawing their attention to the fruitarian standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Chill, Al, I just want to talk." Pi then noticed Rick and Kate standing in the doorway. "Hey Mr. C, Almost Mrs. C, how's it going?"

Rick crossed the room quickly and pulled Pi back from Alexis. "She said 'get out', Pi," he said, uncharacteristically calm.

"I just want to talk to her, Mr. C," Pi explained.

"I don't really care what you want, Pi," Rick sneered.

Pi tried to pull away from him to get closer to Alexis and all of a sudden Rick flung his fist up and into Pi's eye.

"Dad!" Alexis screamed. Kate ran forward and pulled the two apart before Pi was able to straighten up and defend himself.

"I think you had better leave, Pi," Kate said in her scary detective voice. She was standing with a hand on Rick's chest, urging him to stand still, with her other hand pushing Pi towards the door. "If Alexis decides she wants to talk, she will call you. If not, you will leave her alone."

Alexis nodded her agreement and Pi had no choice but to head for the door. She locked it shut behind him before turning to her dad and Kate. "I can't believe you punched him Dad," Alexis said, shocked.

Kate wasn't sure whether to be mad or proud. She opted for proud. "Nice, shot. I bet your hand is going to be sore tomorrow."

"Or now," he said sheepishly, cradling his already bruising knuckles. "I was just so mad. Everything I felt the other day, all my fear, it was all because of that guy, and I just lost it."

"You don't have to explain it to me," Kate told him. "Hell if you hadn't done it, I probably would have."

Alexis let out a small laugh. "Thanks for that, Dad. You too, Kate." She made her way to the freezer to pull out an ice pack for her dad's knuckles.

"Anytime Pumpkin," Rick said, gratefully accepting the ice pack and turning to sit on the couch.

Alexis sat down on one side of him, and they began to chat about their collective days. Kate looked on in amusement, thrilled with her little family and how they were all there for each other. They beckoned her over and she knew she wouldn't change their dynamic for the world.


	10. Chapter 10

_Note: As always you guys continue to make me smile! I'm glad so many of you appreciated Rick punching Pi! I definitely had fun writing that scene…Thanks to those who continue to review; your support is greatly appreciated! I can't believe there have been over 20,000 hits and over 150 followers, you guys make me smile with each comment and message…thanks for your support! Happy Castle Monday everyone!_

**Guess what! Marlowe said he would share Castle with me. Just kidding…I wish he would!**

Chapter 10.

"Rick, come on, we have to go otherwise the realtor is going to get mad at us again!" Kate said impatiently, attempting to hurry her fiancé who seemed to be moving at a glacial pace.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he huffed, rushing out of the bathroom and bumping into her. "Sorry, didn't expect you to be right there."

Kate shook her head, glancing at the clock beside her bed. _Wedding Countdown: 20 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Had it really been five days since the whole Pi fiasco? Rick seemed to be able to read her mind, as always. "I can't believe it either. Seems like we just decided to get married!"

"I know. Now that we have everything decided for the wedding, I feel like it's going to start slowing down. Just when I think that though, I look at the clock and another couple days have flown by. What have we even been doing?" She was leading him out into the hall and into the elevator now.

He answered her with a smirk.

"Ok, besides that," she told him, laughing. Kate didn't know what it was about their upcoming wedding, but lately they couldn't keep their hands off one another. If they weren't careful, one of these days the practicing would actually lead them to a baby. She wasn't sure if she was quite ready for that.

"Hmm well we have been annoying our realtor for the last few days."

"You mean you have been annoying our realtor, right?"

He pouted. "You're the one who wants to have the perfect, large kitchen, and the 4 bedrooms," Rick reminded her.

"And you want the great big office next to our bedroom, and the large balcony with a great view."

"I don't think either of us is being unreasonable," he grumbled slightly getting into the car.

"No, we're not. This is going to be the place we raise a family." Had she really just said that so easily? "I just want it to be everything we want."

Rick smiled at her. "I know. We will find somewhere perfect, I promise."

They opted to walk to meet their realtor, Henry, at what had to have been their 20th building in a span of three days. They had each managed to find something wrong with every place. One was too small, one too large, one had a great office, but a tiny kitchen and vice versa. Kate was beginning to think they were never going to find somewhere they would both want to call home. They walked up to an unassuming brick building, mere blocks from their current loft. Rick squeezed Kate's hand and gently pushed her through the door ahead of him.

The doorman smiled in greeting, and Rick paused to shake his hand. Kate grinned. This was one of the things she loved most about her fiancé. He was so sweet to everyone, always ready with a smile or a friendly word. It didn't matter that he was Richard Castle, bestselling novelist, to everyone around him, he was Rick, super friendly guy.

"Over here," Henry called to them, standing by the elevator. Henry was tall, nerdy, and had short blond hair that appeared to be covered in gel. If Kate was honest with herself, he reminded her of a blond Ross, from the television show _Friends_. She kept forgetting to share this comparison with Rick. She knew they would be able to share a laugh over it.

"Alright, Henry. Give us the scoop," Rick said as they made their way onto the elevator.

"This one is slightly larger than the last place we looked at. There are five bedrooms, four baths, and a large office. The kitchen has granite countertops and cherry cabinets."

Kate nudged Rick and tried to keep her excitement under control. It seemed to be everything they were looking for.

"What's the catch?" Rick asked, frowning slightly.

"No catch," Henry told them as the elevator pinged for them to exit.

They stepped out into what can only be described as an entryway. There was one door in front of them.

"There's only one apartment on this floor?" Kate asked.

"Yes. The previous owners bought the two other apartments on this floor and knocked down the walls to make one large place. It has been completely remodeled and redecorated, with an old/modern twist. I really think you are going to like it." With that, Henry decoded the lockbox and opened the door.

It was everything Kate had ever wanted and more. She could tell by the look on Rick's face that he felt the same way. Just inside to their left was a large kitchen with beautiful black granite countertops. The contrast with the steel colored appliances was almost startlingly beautiful. The island was huge, big enough for them to prepare thanksgiving dinner on that one space alone. Kate reached out and took Rick's hand as Henry began to lead them from room to room.

The living room had floor to ceiling windows with a rare unobstructed view of the city. Even the carpet was heavenly – plush and comfortable, allowing them to feel as if they were sinking into the clouds. The master bedroom was large, by far the biggest they had seen, with his and hers walk in closets that Kate was sure even Rick would have trouble filling. The master bathroom actually took Kate's breath away. It had a Jacuzzi tub big enough to swim laps in, and a shower with not even two but five various spouts and sprayers.

Rick looked down at Kate who smiled, weaving her arm through his. "What do you think so far?"

"So far, I love it. There has to be something wrong with it right?"

Rick laughed. "You would think with our luck there would be. Let's finish looking around."

Henry hung back allowing the couple to look through the office next to the master bedroom, and through the various upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. Rick bent to inspect floors, and rose on his toes to inspect molding, and Kate had to laugh at herself at how seriously Rick was taking this.

"What do you think, Mr. Fix-it?" she teased, knowing the man wouldn't actually know if anything was wrong.

"It looks…solid," he finished, giving her a sheepish look. Kate loved that he was trying to make an effort to check everything for her, for them.

"Why don't we tell Henry we will think about it, so we can go home and talk?" Kate suggested. Rick nodded before leading them back downstairs and sharing this with Henry.

They walked back to the loft in comfortable silence, their hands entwined, Kate leaning on Rick's shoulder. It wasn't until they made their way inside and discovered it empty that Kate spoke. "You're being awfully quiet, Rick," she nudged him as they sat down on the couch.

"Just thinking."

"Care to share with the class?"

He shrugged, laying his head back on the couch. Kate wasn't used to him being the quiet one. "Everything okay?" she asked, concerned now.

"Yeah. Just thinking about the new place, and the loft, and Alexis."

Now it all made sense. They hadn't told Alexis yet that they were looking at places. Kate understood his hesitation now.

"We don't have to move if you don't want to Rick."

He smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. "I appreciate you saying that, I really do. I want us to have a fresh start somewhere, it just won't be easy to leave this place and all the memories."

"If it's going to be too difficult, we don't have to though. I don't want you to feel any pressure from me."

"I know we don't have to. But Kate, I saw your face in that place. I know how much you loved it."

"But I love it here too. We could have kids here. There's an extra bedroom, and we could make it work if that's what you want."

"I think we should move, Kate. I want us to have our own beginning. Alexis will understand, right?" He looked like a worried little boy.

Kate brushed is hair off of his forehead, pressing a kiss to his temple. "I think she will. We will let her have first choice of those rooms upstairs. I think the closet in the far bedroom is twice as big as the one she has now. She's gotta love that, right?"

"You're right, I'm probably worrying for nothing. So that's it? I should probably call Henry."

Kate grinned, absolutely giddy with excitement. "Let's do it!"

Rick got up to make the phone call and Kate looked around, taking in the loft and everything that would have to be packed up for their move. Talk about a daunting task!

They had to wait for their offer to be reviewed, but Rick and Kate didn't mind. They situated themselves on the couch to watch television and wait for Alexis to come home so they could share the news with her. Kate fell asleep, relaxing in the arms of her fiancé, enjoying the calm before the wedding and (hopefully) moving craziness. She didn't know how much time had passed, but whispers from the kitchen woke her up. Kate pulled herself up and wandered towards the voices of Rick and Alexis who's whispers were now elevating in excitement.

"Great plan, Lex! Are you sure I didn't come up with it?"

"Dad! Come on, I come up with the best ideas, you just wish they were yours."

Rick was laughing now.

"What idea?" Kate questioned, rubbing her eyes.

"For our Bachelor/Bachelorette parties! This kid," he pointed proudly at Alexis. "Came up with the idea and got the boys and Lanie and Maddie involved."

"Okay…so what's this brilliant idea?" Kate asked again.

"Wait for it, wait for it…" Rick teased before Alexis interrupted.

"Vegas!" she shouted. "Sorry, Dad," she said when he mock-glared at her. "It was my idea after all."

"Will you be able to enjoy Vegas?" Kate asked Alexis, wanting to be sure her daughter would have fun too.

"There are shows, spas, and food. I may not be able to go to all the clubs but I'm sure there are some I can go to. We can get rooms at Bellagio, and everyone can hang out but then separate for their own festivities. Does this weekend work for you?"

Alexis' excitement was contagious and she couldn't help but smile. "Let me check my work schedule…oh wait…I don't have one!" Kate grinned, nearly being toppled over when Alexis launched herself into her arms.

"Okay. You guys don't worry about a thing. I'm going to go call everyone and get everything finalized," Alexis said, rocketing from the room.

"She's definitely your kid," Kate laughed. "You sure you want us girls crashing your bachelor party? It's going to be hard to have strippers with your fiancé in the next room," she eyed him, waiting for his response.

"Crashing my bachelor party? No way. It will be so much better this way! Besides it's Vegas, and I'll be there with you, at least part of the time. I don't need or want strippers. Not my scene."

Kate smiled. Five years ago, she wouldn't have believed him. She had thought he was a playboy who wanted a new woman for each night of the week. She knew better now. She knew the man behind the image his publishers had worked up for him so many years before. Her Rick would rather sit in his sweats on the couch with her than go out with strippers. Kate crossed the room to hug him.

She breathed in the smell of him. His cologne and his soap never ceased to make her melt. "Hey," she pulled back slightly to look at him. "Did you tell Alexis about the other place?"

"Turns out I was worried for no reason. All I had to do was mention a bigger closet and she was in." Rick hugged her to him again. "Besides, I think she was too excited about her Vegas plan to really think much of it."

"Do you think she put together the expanding the family part?" Kate asked hesitantly.

"She's a pretty smart kid, Kate. I think that has probably crossed her mind."

"Do you think we should talk to her about it?"

"I think you worry to much."

"Hey, weren't you the one who was worried earlier?"

"And didn't you calm me down?"

"Yeah. I guess I did," she told him.

"Because that's what partners do."

"Yeah," she echoed. "That's what partners do."

"Now," he steered her towards the bedroom. "I think we have some packing to do. Looks like we are going to Vegas!"

Kate smiled. She was getting married to Rick Castle in 20 days. She was going to Las Vegas for a joint Bachelor/Bachelorette Party with her best friends and her soon to be stepdaughter. Some days, she still couldn't believe this was her reality.


	11. Chapter 11

_Note: Hey guys, I'm all smiles again after reading your reviews. I don't know how else to say it but you really make my day when you leave your thoughts. It means the world to me! I really appreciate your support and the fact that you are willing to take the time to leave a bit of encouragement. You guys are the best!_

**I wish I owned Castle.**

Chapter 11.

"Kate, babe, are you packed? The car is picking us up in ten minutes," Rick called from the kitchen.

She looked at the clock on her nightstand, debating whether or not to take it with her to Vegas. _Wedding Countdown: 18 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _ She figured, what the hell, she was actually getting used to seeing it every morning, and threw it in her carryon bag. "Yeah, just zipping my bag," she told him as she heard his cell ringing. Kate hoped it wasn't the car company telling them they were early. She listened to Rick, trying to see who it was, but he wasn't saying much.

"Okay, thank you very much. I'll let her know," he said, hanging up the phone as she walked into the kitchen to join him.

"Who was that?"

"That was Henry. We didn't get the house."

Kate's stomach dropped and she tried to hide her disappointment. "Okay, we can keep looking or we can - "

Rick interrupted her. "Kate, I'm kidding, it's ours!" he exclaimed, picking her up and spinning her in a circle.

She didn't know if she should kiss him or hit him. Rick put her down and grinned. "Gotcha!"

Kissing him won. She pulled his head to hers and savored the moment. "I can't believe we actually got it!" Kate said as she pulled back to look at him.

"I know, I'm so excited!" Rick kissed her again.

"What's exciting, and can you guys please get a room?" Alexis asked, coming down the stairs with her suitcase.

Rick rushed over to take it from her and said, "We have one, in Vegas for the weekend!"

"Not really what I meant, Dad," Alexis laughed.

Kate looked over at Rick, who nodded, giving her permission to share their news. "We got the new place, Lex," she said a little hesitantly, not quite sure how Alexis would take the news.

"That's great!" Alexis said, excitedly. "I can't wait to see my new room. Can we go look at it when we get back from Vegas?"

"You got it," Kate grinned.

Rick's phone rang again. "Car's here!"

Kate and Rick were surprised to see that it wasn't their normal town car, but a stretch limo that was waiting for them downstairs. The driver opened the door and Esposito, Ryan, Jenny, Lanie, and Maddie we waiting for them with champagne and sparkling cider for Alexis.

"Wow, Pumpkin, you've really outdone yourself, haven't you?" Rick asked, giving his daughter a side squeeze as they sat down.

"Yeah, thanks for putting all of this together," Kate added. She didn't think she would ever get used to how put together her almost stepdaughter was. Kate wasn't sure she would have been able to plan a last minute trip this well, but here Alexis was, pulling out all the stops.

"Wait 'til you guys see the rooms at the Bellagio!" Alexis grinned, clearly thrilled with herself.

They all chatted happily on the way to the airport, even more excited to find out Alexis had managed to get them all upgraded to first class.

"Girl, you really know how to travel!" Lanie told Alexis, pulling her into a hug. She and Maddie had definitely enjoyed the champagne on their ride over from the loft.

Kate leaned into Rick and took in the picture before them. Lanie, Maddie and Alexis were all talking excitedly about their plans once they landed, deciding which they would include the guys in and which would be strictly girls only. Ryan and Esposito were coming up with plans of their own, and Kate wasn't sure what she thought of them.

"Really guys? I thought Rick said he didn't want strippers," she looked sternly at the two who looked like they had been caught.

"Rick definitely said he didn't want strippers," Rick said, shooting a panicked look at Kate who squeezed his hand reassuringly. She knew he had told the boys no strippers, and was afraid enough of her reaction to do everything in his power to make sure they listened.

"But, it's your Bachelor party, man," Esposito whined.

"Kevin, you didn't have strippers at your Bachelor party, right?" Jenny asked, glaring at Ryan.

"No, no of course not, babe," Ryan said quickly.

"Javi. I know you are not going to be lookin' at strippers," Lanie told him. If looks could kill, Esposito would have been dead, right then and there.

Kate laughed. She knew if she said it loud enough their wife/girlfriend would be sure to put an end to it. Rick caught onto her game. "Sneaky, sneaky," he said, poking her in the side.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said innocently.

Flying first class definitely made the flight seem quicker. Their seats reclined, and they were served more champagne. For the bridal party, it was heaven. Before they knew it they were standing in line at the Bellagio, waiting while Alexis handled their check in. She returned with four keys – one for Rick and Kate, one for Esposito and Lanie, one for Jenny and Ryan and one for her and Maddie. They agreed to an hour for everyone to freshen up before meeting in the lobby to find somewhere for dinner.

Rick and Kate made their way into their room for the weekend and were surprised to see it was a beautiful suite with a view of the fountains.

"That kid," Rick began, shaking his head.

"This is unbelievable," Kate sighed, taking Rick's hand and leading him to the window so they could take in the beautiful view.

Rick stood behind her, putting his arms around her stomach, pulling her back into him, and placing light kisses down her neck.

"Rick," she breathed, trying to keep her vision straight. "We're supposed to be freshening up."

"What do you think I'm doing?" he asked huskily, picking her up and carrying her over to the bed.

The two simply lost track of time, and it wasn't until Kate's phone rang that they were pulled back down to Earth and the reality that they had others waiting for them.

"Hey Lanie, yeah. We just got a bit distracted by the view."

"Mhmm." Lanie wasn't fooled. "Get your writer man out of bed and get down here. We want to get this party started!"

Kate felt her blush rise. "We'll be down in a few minutes." She glared at Rick who was smiling at her. "What?"

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he kissed the tip of her nose, and made his way to the bathroom to get ready to meet their friends.

Who was she kidding? She couldn't be mad at him. Kate watched him walk to the bathroom, admiring the great view until he turned around, catching her. "See something you like Mrs. Castle?"

"Nah," she teased, following him to get ready. "Mrs. Castle. I like the way that sounds. I never thought I would change my name before."

That had caught him off guard. "Really?"

"Yeah. I've always been Detective Beckett. I always thought if I did get married one day, I would just keep my name. It's so much a part of who I am."

Rick looked as though he was trying to be okay with that. "If you want to keep your name, I understand."

Kate placed a hand on his arm. "No, that's not what I'm saying. I want this for us. I want to be Mrs. Rick Castle. I want everyone to know I am your wife and you are my husband. You changed that for me, Rick. You're so much more than I ever dreamed was possible."

He was completely and utterly touched. Words actually failed him, so he lifted her in a kiss that would have caused her knees to buckle.

When he finally put her back down, she said, "So I take it you're happy about that?"

"I don't know how I got so lucky," was his simple reply. Rick kissed her again, frowning slightly as she pulled away.

"If we don't actually get ready, we are going to end up in bed again and Lanie and Alexis will have our heads!"

He let out a deep sigh. "Fiiiiine. I guess there's time for more of that later."

Kate smiled at him, "we have a lifetime."

Dinner was absolutely fabulous. They had succulent steaks, more champagne, and the best crème brulée any of them had ever tasted. Lanie and Maddie kept shooting the couple knowing looks that Kate was trying hard to ignore. Rick, on the other hand would smile at them when their gazes shifted to him, challenging them to say something to him. He knew he was safe with Alexis there – no one wanted to make her more uncomfortable than she already was after they were thirty minutes late to dinner.

Once the bill had been paid, Alexis told them that the ladies were going to see Beatles Love, and the guys had to figure out how to entertain themselves. Esposito lit up until Lanie shot him her look again, challenging him to come up with a plan that would get them into trouble. He sank back into his chair like a little boy who had been scolded, and the girls all laughed.

Before they left, Kate bent down and gave Rick a fiery kiss that caught him off guard. "That ought to hold you 'til I see you later. Try to keep the women off you," she laughed at his love-struck face.

"O-ok," he stuttered.

The minute the women turned the corner, Esposito looked at Ryan and Rick and said, "let's get this party started."

While the ladies were treated to VIP treatment at Cirque du Soleil's Beatles Love performance, the guys decided to get to know the various bars at their hotel. They played craps, black jack, and roulette, Esposito losing over $500 and Ryan and Rick winning close to the same.

"Not cool guys," Esposito pouted. "Sure you don't want to help cheer me up with some strippers?"

"Uh no," Ryan told him. "I'd actually prefer to live. I don't think any of the girls would be understanding if they ever found out."

"Ditto that," Rick smiled, swaying slightly from how much he had to drink. "Besides, Kate still sleeps with a gun. No way I'm doing anything to upset her."

"Please, Castle," Esposito laughed. "You upset her on a daily basis."

"True enough. But not so much that she actually wants to kill me," Rick giggled.

Ryan looked at the still swaying Rick and then down at his watch. "Man, I forgot how easy it is to loose track of time in these places. It's almost one! I bet the girls will be back soon. Maybe we should head back up."

It was at that moment that a young woman in a short, tight skirt with a shirt so tight it looked like it was glued on ran up to them.

"Oh. My. God. It's Rick Castle!" She threw her arms around him and he stumbled.

"Who are you?" he asked, attempting to wriggle free.

"Only your biggest fan!" she shrieked, kissing his cheek.

"Hey, get off, come on," he told her, in another attempt to escape her tight embrace.

"But I want to kiss Rick Castle!" she screamed, clearly drunk herself.

"What the hell is going on here?" Ryan and Esposito had been too busy laughing at the scene in front of them to realize the ladies had made it back from their show.

"Kate!" Rick exclaimed, finally freeing himself from the drunk, seemingly half clothed young woman. "It's not what it looks like, I swear!"

Kate didn't care. She was fuming. The three drinks she had at the show plus the earlier champagne probably weren't helping the situation. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she demanded of the girl. No one kissed her fiancé. No one.

"I want to kiss Rick Castle!" the girl smiled at her, clearly not understanding the daggers that were being shot from Kate's eyes.

Before any of them could stop her, Kate lunged, slapping the girl clear across her face. "Stay. Away. From. My. Fiancé," she seethed.

The group stood there in shock. "Um, we should probably go," Lanie told Esposito who nodded quickly, turning to follow her to the elevators.

Everyone else looked at each other and turned to follow them, not wanting to be in Kate's crossfire. They all knew that fear of Kate Beckett was simple logic. No one wanted to be on her bad side.

"Kate, I swear, I was trying to get away. I promise you." Rick went to grab her hand and she pulled it away.

"You should have stopped her."

"I was trying! You can ask the guys, I was trying to get away."

"Well you should have tried harder."

Rick was panicking now. He didn't want her to think he would ever do something to hurt her. He tried to take her hand, "Kate, I would never - "

"Rick, stop," she interrupted. "I don't want to hear it right now," Kate pulled her hand back from him. "I need to cool down." With that, she turned and strode deeper into the casino, leaving a shocked and confused Rick in her wake.


	12. Chapter 12

_Note: Thank you so much for your continued reviews. For those of you who are upset by Kate's reaction, I just have to ask for you to trust me. I know she can be unreasonable at times, and this is yet another example. It couldn't be smooth sailing up until the wedding! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks again everyone, you still make me smile with every review!_

**I am saddened to say I don't own Castle. **

Chapter 12.

Rick stood there, stunned. What had just happened? He hadn't done anything. The guys had been right there. Why was she so mad? Rick didn't know what to do. This was the old Beckett, not the Kate that had been so open with him recently. He just didn't understand.

He stayed in the same spot, not sure what to do. Rick didn't know how many minutes had passed before he realized that he was standing in the middle of the casino and people were starting to stare at him. He had no idea where Kate had gone, so he headed back up to their suite to wait.

Minutes turned into an hour and Rick started pacing the room. He was starting to get angry. This was not okay. She couldn't run every time something happened between them. She had to let him talk to her, to explain his side of the story. Rick sat on the bed and turned on the television, exhaustion finally taking over. Before he knew it, he fell asleep, unable to keep his eyes open any longer.

This is where she found him another hour later. He was sitting on top of the duvet, slumped down, and snoring. Kate knew he only snored when he was exhausted and completely worn out. The guilt she had already been feeling rose considerably.

Kate had no explanation for him as to why she overreacted so much. Simple jealousy didn't even begin to cover it. She was used to seeing fans all over him. She knew they asked for him to sign inappropriate places and she also knew he turned them down. He wasn't that playboy she had once believed him to be. She crossed quietly into the bathroom so she wouldn't disturb him while she changed. She would apologize profusely in the morning. He would understand, right? He always did. Thinking about this made the guilty feeling return to the pit of her stomach again and suddenly it was too much to handle. Kate dashed across the expansive bathroom barely making it to the toilet before she threw up what had to have been the entire contents of her stomach.

She sat back and leaned against the side of the large tub and attempted some deep breathing, hoping the nausea would subside. Kate hadn't had a drink in hours, and even so, she hardly ever threw up after having alcohol.

She shot up suddenly, causing her stomach to plummet again, understanding washing over her. It all made sense. All of it. Her increased sex drive, her sudden irrational behavior. Kate counted back to her last period. She was late. She was never late. With all of the wedding plans she hadn't noticed or even thought about it. Just when she thought it was safe to get up Kate had to lean over and throw up again. She didn't think it was possible for anything to be in there, but well, it was.

Luckily her retching hadn't woken her fiancé, who was still snoring peacefully in their bed when Kate climbed in after brushing her teeth in an attempt to feel human again. She sat next to him and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, understanding why he chose to watch her sleep. Kate may have told him multiple times that she thought it was creepy, but, she would never admit to him she liked to watch him too. She knew she hurt him tonight, and all she wanted to do was kiss him and tell him how sorry she was. Rick would be thrilled if she was actually pregnant and would be more than understanding of her irrational behavior if that were indeed the cause. At least she hoped he would be. She hoped this wouldn't be the time that she had pushed him too far.

"Stop staring at me," Rick mumbled sleepily.

"I wasn't staring," Kate teased.

"Whatever," he rolled over, away from her.

Panic washed over Kate's body. He never turned away from her. He should be teasing her for watching him, not rolling over. Maybe she had really screwed this up. She knew she had to fix it. "Rick, hey, I want to talk to you."

He sighed and rolled back to face her. "Now you want to talk?"

Okay. She deserved this. "Rick, I'm so sorry. I know nothing happened with that girl. I have no idea why I went so crazy. I shouldn't have walked away from you. Please look at me, I am so, truly sorry I hurt you."

Rick raised his head to look in her eyes and saw tears swimming. "Kate, you can't walk away every time you get mad at me. We are getting married. We have to be in this together," he paused and sighed. "I don't know how else I can tell you or show you that you are it for me. I love you more than I have ever loved any other woman. More than I ever thought was possible. You're my always, Kate."

He looked at her with such love that she broke and the tears began sliding down her face. "I'm so sorry, Rick. I know you love me more than anything. I feel the same way. I honestly just snapped. I know crazed fans come with the territory, I really do. I promise you I will try not to get jealous anymore. Okay, well we both know I will still get jealous, but I will make an effort not to lash out at you. I know it's not your fault. You are ruggedly handsome after all," she smiled, and was relieved to see he was smiling too.

"That works for me. And I'll try not to get jealous of all of the men who stare at you. It's hard not to walk down the street punching guys left and right for checking you out."

She laughed, relief flooding through her. They would be okay. Better than okay when she shared her thoughts on why she had acted so irrationally. "Right, because that happens all the time," Kate rolled her eyes.

"It does!" he exclaimed. "You just don't notice."

"Exactly. I'm too busy wondering how this ruggedly handsome, kind, loving writer man fell for me."

Rick leaned over and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too." Kate curled into him, savoring the moment.

"Hey Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Not that I'm trying to rationalize my behavior earlier or anything…" she paused, taking in his amused expression. "But I think I may know why I was a little crazier than normal."

"Crazier than normal? I don't know about that. I think you're normally pretty crazy," he teased, tickling her stomach.

Kate giggled, trying to catch her breath. "Rick, stop!" she shrieked. "I. Have. To. Tell. You. Something," she panted in an attempt to stop his fingers.

"Oh is this keeping you from talking?" he laughed, still letting his fingers find her trigger points.

"Yes!" she squealed.

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll stop then." Rick finally pulled himself back and watched as his fiancé attempted to regain her composure.

It took a few minutes for Kate's breathing to settle and for her to work up the courage necessary to fill him in. "I think I might be pregnant." She said it quickly, knowing he would be happy and that she had no reason to be nervous.

Rick was completely and utterly shocked. "What?" he asked, wanting to make sure he had heard correctly before getting excited.

Kate wasn't sure what to think of his reaction. She had thought he would have been thrilled, and he just seemed - oddly quiet.

"I think I might be pregnant," she repeated and watched as his face lit up.

"Really? Kate, really? This is wonderful! I can't believe it! We're going to be parents!" He jumped up and pulled her to him, cradling her to his chest.

Kate was thrilled. This was the reaction she had been hoping for. "I mean, I haven't taken a test or anything yet. And I just figured it out when I threw up when I got to the room. I realized I'm late. I'm never late."

Rick kissed her, and hugged her to him again. "You really know how to do an apology right, don't you Mrs. Castle?"

She loved when he called her that, even though they weren't quite married yet. It was close enough. "I know it doesn't excuse my behavior," she began but was quickly interrupted.

"It's okay, Kate. We are okay. Better than, actually. Just promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"Don't let those crazy pregnancy hormones make you think I would ever want any one but you again, okay?"

She smiled, relieved that this night had gone from one of hurt to one of inexplicable joy in such a short period of time. "Deal."

"Is it too soon to get a pregnancy test? I want to know for sure," Rick told her.

"No, I think we should be okay. I'm actually two weeks late."

He got out of bed quickly. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"To the store downstairs to grab a test. Come on, Kate, they've got to have them. Don't you want to know?"

"Yeah," she admitted, hardly able to contain her excitement now.

"Then I'll be back!"

Kate watched as the door closed behind him. Here she was again, thinking about how she was the luckiest person in the world. She had the most kind hearted, honest, loving, man-child as her fiancé, and they could very well be parents. Kate knew they had talked about wanting kids, and she knew they had definitely been practicing often enough, but it had seemed like a far off dream. It was a dream she couldn't wait for, and couldn't believe was right in front of her. Rick Castle did that for her. Just when she thought life with him couldn't get any better, it did.

He had said once, that _if you don't believe in even the possibility of magic, you'll never find it_. Before Rick, Kate had never believed in magic. She never believed she would find her person, her one and done. Love was a fairytale that she hadn't ever believed would become her reality. She had never believed she would find true happiness. This man had changed her life. He pushed his way through the walls she had so carefully built up and claimed her heart. Kate wouldn't change it for anything. Yes, he drove her crazy at times, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She had found magic. Who would have thought it would be with the man who had helped her get through her mother's murder before even knowing her? She'd have to write that in her vows. Kate knew that would be a surprise for him, she had never told him that before.

Kate was brought out of her thoughts by the door opening and Rick brandishing a box at her. "I got it!"

She laughed. "You really want to do this now?"

"There's no time like the present!"

"Okay, wait here." She took the box from him and made her way to the bathroom while he pouted. "Rick, you don't need to watch me pee on a stick. I'll come right back out and we can wait for the timer to go off together."

He gave in. "Okay."

Kate came back out a minute later and Rick set his phone for three minutes. She put the test down and went over to hold his hands. "Whatever this says, we will be okay, right?" she asked.

"Of course," he said reassuringly. "If we aren't pregnant, we will just have to practice more. When the time is right, it will happen for us."

Kate pressed her head to his chest and let him hold her. "I knew I wanted this with you, Rick. I just didn't realize how much I wanted it until it was close enough to touch."

"Me too, babe." He hugged her to him and planted a kiss on top of her head.

Time seemed to stand still as they stood there, holding on to one another.

"This is the longest two minutes of my life," Rick told her.

"Mine too."

"Is it time yet?" he asked playfully, in an attempt to distract her.

"Not yet, my man-child. One minute to go."

Rick shifted Kate to his side so they could both see the timer on his phone counting down. The time ticked down, impossibly slow, and when the beep sounded, they looked at one another.

"Are you ready?" Rick asked, caressing her cheek.

She turned to kiss his palm. "Yeah."

Together they walked over to look down at the test.

"One…two…three," Rick counted before they saw the results.

Kate's breath hitched as she looked down at the word that was apparent on the little screen. A tear slid down her face as she looked up at her fiancé noticing his eyes were teary too.

"We're having a baby," Kate breathed, smiling as Rick picked her up and swung her around in a circle.

"We're having a baby," he echoed, positively overcome with emotion. Rick put her down and kissed her with such force that she staggered backwards.

When they finally had to breathe she pulled back and looked at the expression on her fiancé's face. There were tears of joy running down his eyes that matched her own. "You make me so happy," she told him. "I can't wait to experience parenthood with you. I already know you're an amazing Dad, and I'm so lucky to have you as my fiancé and the father of my child."

"Kate, you have no idea. This is going to be the most wonderful, magical, challenging experience, and I'm the lucky one to get to experience it with you. With us as parents, this kid is sure to be trouble," Rick teased.

Kate laughed, knowing this was probably the truth. But the reality was, she wouldn't have it any other way. She grabbed his neck, pulling him close and kissed him.

"What do you say we celebrate?" he asked as he scooped her up and carried her to their bed.

"That sounds perfect," she said as she nestled into his chest. "Thank you, Rick."

"For what?" He set her down on the bed, covering her body with his own.

"For loving me. For being you. For making me happier than I ever thought was possible."

"Always," was his simple response, the only word he needed to say before he crushed her lips with his own.

_Hope you guys liked this chapter, I know I enjoyed writing it! Let me know what you think!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Note: All right guys, here I am again, reading your comments and to quote __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__ "smiling like a mindless idiot"! I always worry what you will think of the next chapter, and each time you encourage me and make me smile. Thank you so much for all of your kind words! I can honestly say that I am having so much fun writing this fic…it is definitely one of my favorite things to do now. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!_

**Wait let me check. Nope, still don't own Castle. Darn!**

Chapter 13.

Kate rolled over and felt Rick's arms tighten around her back. She burrowed into him, smiling as he traced circles on her back. They were going to have a baby! If anyone had told her five years ago that she would be engaged to Richard Castle, playboy extraordinaire, and expecting his child, she would have laughed in their face.

"We're having a baby," Rick whispered happily, not wanting to disturb her if she was still asleep, but wanting to say the words aloud nonetheless.

Kate pulled back enough to look in his eyes, watching as they crinkled with his enormous grin. "We are," she said excitedly. "I can't believe it!" She frowned suddenly. "How are we going to keep this a secret? It's our Bachelor/Bachelorette party weekend. I think everyone will get suspicious if I suddenly start declining any and all alcohol."

"Well," Rick thought for a moment. "Didn't you say you were sick last night? Yes, I know it was actually morning sickness, but they don't have to know that. You can just say you don't want to be sick again."

"I guess. You don't think they'll suspect anything?"

"Esposito and Ryan may be detectives, but do you remember how long it took them to find out about us?"

Kate laughed at that. "Yeah, but I have a feeling Jenny and Lanie will start to wonder, especially since Jenny is pregnant…"

"Stomach flu!" Rick exclaimed, looking at her, obviously quite proud of himself. "We can use that as an excuse for not partying late at night, and for going to the more subdued attractions. It's perfect!"

"Okay…" Kate wasn't quite convinced, but she didn't want to worry about it anymore. She just wanted to enjoy being lazy in bed for a while with her fiancé. Kate smiled up at him before it quickly turned into a frown again.

"Did you decide against my idea?" Rick questioned, trying to read her face.

"Rick, I drank last night. I mean, it was champagne, but still. And I drank before that. You're not supposed to drink when you're pregnant." Tears were filling her eyes now.

"Kate, it's okay," Rick pulled her to him, and rubbed her arms gently. "You didn't know you were pregnant first of all. Second, I remember having this same conversation when Meredith was pregnant with Alexis. The doctor assured us that the drinking was done early enough in the pregnancy that it wouldn't do any harm. You just need to make sure you don't drink anymore. It'll be fine, trust me. Look at Alexis…" he trailed off, knowing that would speak for itself. Alexis was a great kid, and probably more mature and together than either of her parents. Rick squeezed her reassuringly and felt her exhale a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. But if you don't believe me we can ask when we go to the doctor, okay?"

"Okay," she gave him a tearful smile.

"What do you say we keep this to us for a bit longer?" he asked.

"Sounds good to me. I just want us to enjoy the moment for now. How about we tell everyone when we get back from our honeymoon?"

Rick looked at her a moment, and was just about to speak when she interrupted him. "I just thought about how that sounded, Rick. I don't want you to think I'm ashamed or anything like that. I just meant that with the wedding and then telling everyone, it just might be a lot of news at once. I want to be able to enjoy the wedding without everyone quizzing us on gender preferences or name choices. Then we can enjoy that part later."

Rick laughed, and Kate looked puzzled. "It didn't even occur to me that you would be ashamed. This is something we talked about and both wanted. We are engaged, and getting married very soon," he glanced at the clock she had placed next to the bed. "In 17 days to be exact. I'm happy to wait to share the news. I want to be able to enjoy both occasions separately as well."

Kate visibly relaxed. "Okay, good."

"What do you say I call up and schedule a couple's massage? I think the rest of our crew can entertain themselves for a bit."

"That sounds amazing, actually."

Kate sat back and waited as Rick called the spa, smiling as she watched him charm the person he was talking to into getting them an immediate appointment. The man could do it all.

"All set! They should be ready for us in about half an hour. We can take a quick shower," he raised his eyebrows suggestively, "and be on our way."

She shook her head. Some things would never change. "Well Mr. Castle, if that's what you have in mind, we better get started."

Rick scooped her off the bed and she squeaked, laughing as he jogged into the bathroom, still holding her bridal style.

The time flew by and it wasn't until they were rushing out the door that Rick remembered he had planned on texting the guys so the group would know they would be busy for a couple of hours.

**Booked a couple's massage. Can you guys entertain yourselves for a bit?**

Esposito's response was immediate. **Yeah, we're good. You still in trouble, bro?**

Rick laughed to himself and Kate turned to look at him. "What's so funny?"

"Esposito just wanted to know if I was still in trouble for last night."

Kate flushed. "I should probably apologize to them too." She hooked her arm through his as they stepped onto the elevator and said, "I really am sorry, Rick."

"I know. You can stop apologizing. I'm a happy man today, babe." He kissed her quickly on the nose before turning to respond to Esposito. **We r good. No worries. Don't get into too much trouble w/o us.**

Esposito's reply was quick again. **Good. Enjoy. See u later.**

** Yup. Do me a favor and make sure the ladies know too. Thanks!**

"We're all set," Rick said as the elevator opened up into the lobby of the spa.

The lighting was dimmed and there was soothing music playing in the background. A woman stepped forward and greeted them, escorting the couple back to their room.

"Wow, Rick. This is amazing!" Kate squeezed his hand as they were led down a long hallway, ready to be pampered.

An hour and a half later the thoroughly relaxed couple emerged from their room, swaying slightly together in their trancelike state.

"I feel so light," Kate told him as they got into the elevator, taking it back down to their floor.

"Me too. I didn't know I had so many knots until they were gone," he confessed.

"I know what you mean. I feel so…" she threw her arms up in the air, laughing.

"Is that how you feel?" he teased, pulling her in for a quick kiss as the door opened up, allowing them to exit.

"It is! You know, I may be up for a round two before we meet up with everyone," she purred.

"You, my dear, are insatiable. Not that I'm complaining! I've gotta say, I'm loving it," Rick told her as he opened the door and led her to their bed.

The couple managed to occupy themselves for the majority of the day, and it wasn't until Kate's phone buzzed that they remembered they were supposed to meet up with their bridal party.

**You guys ever coming to hang out? **Was Lanie's text.

"Oops, guess we kinda forgot about them," Rick said when she showed him her phone, not looking sorry at all.

Kate curled into him and replied, **Yea, sorry. Been sick. Be down in 20.**

"Well, Katherine Houghton Beckett, you little liar!" Rick exclaimed.

"Hey, you're the one who said that was going to be my excuse for not drinking for the rest of our trip."

"True, true. It's still funny. Well we better get ready." Rick got up and began pulling his clothes on, tossing a dress over to Kate who was slowly getting up.

"Rick, what are we going to do about the wedding?"

"What do you mean?"

"They're going to expect us to toast with champagne, how are we going to pull that one off?"

"Ah, I've already worked that out!" He really looked proud of himself for this idea.

"Care to share with the class?" she asked as she tugged the dress over her head, resting her hands on her still-flat belly.

Rick grinned. "You're imagining yourself with a big belly, aren't you?"

"Guilty," she laughed. "You better not call it a big belly though."

"Of course not!" he exclaimed in mock horror. "I wouldn't dare."

"You're distracting me! I want to hear your brilliant idea for our champagne toast."

"Are you sure you don't want it to be a surprise?"

Her look said it all.

"Okay, okay, I give in. I'll tell you. I was thinking about it earlier, and what if it only looks like we're drinking champagne?"

Kate just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I know this guy…" he began. _Shocker_, she thought. Rick always had a guy for everything. "He can make us our own custom champagne bottle, which we can fill with sparkling cider or grape juice or whatever you prefer. Everyone will think its champagne,"

"But it will really be sparkling cider," she finished Rick's sentence for him.

He beamed at her. "Exactly!"

"You're pretty clever Mr. Castle."

"Thank you, thank you very much," he said in his best Elvis impersonation, getting a giggle out of her. "Ready to go face the crew?"

"I'm ready."

Their charade wasn't as hard to pull off as they had anticipated. Everyone was so busy chatting about their respective days that no one really pushed when Kate said she had been sick. Rick was right – although she wouldn't admit it to him – they knew she had been drinking the night before and it wasn't too far fetched to believe she had more after she stormed away from Rick.

Alexis' story pulled Kate out of her thoughts when she heard the girl mention running into a friend from Colombia.

"Yeah, he's really nice. We grabbed a coffee this afternoon. I may meet up with him and his friends later," she told the group.

Kate and Rick were glad to see she was talking to a new guy and seemed to be recovering well from her break up with Pi. "That sounds great Alexis," Kate told her. "I'm really glad you're having fun."

"Me too, Pumpkin," Rick added, reaching across the table to squeeze his daughter's hand.

At that moment, Alexis' phone pinged and she looked up at them guiltily. "Do you guys mind if I go meet Nate? He's going with his friends to ride the X-Scream roller coaster in the Stratosphere Casino."

"Of course we don't mind," Rick and Kate said together. They laughed. Even when they weren't coming up with the killer they still managed to be on the same page.

Alexis got up and bent to hug Kate and give Rick a kiss on the cheek. "Love you guys! I'll see you later."

And then there were seven.

"Do you want some champagne?" Maddie asked Kate, picking up the bottle and offering it to her friend.

"No thanks," Kate said, shooting a side-glance to Rick. "I don't think my stomach will be able to handle it. I'm only just able to keep food down, so I don't want to risk it."

"Suit yourself," Maddie told her, happily topping off her own glass.

Esposito and Lanie were eyeing each other, not exactly being subtle before Esposito faked a yawn. "Hey guys, I'm pretty tired."

"Mhmm," Rick teased, knowingly.

"Yeah, me too," Lanie added. "I think," she faked a yawn too. "I think, I'm gonna have to call it an early night."

Kate laughed at her two friends. "Have a good one, guys," she winked at Lanie who mocked shame.

They disappeared quickly and Jenny let out a true yawn. "I'm sorry, guys. I really am tired. This whole pregnancy thing is taking so much out of me. Not that I would change it!" she added quickly.

Rick and Kate shared a quick glance that was missed by the rest of the table.

"It's okay. You guys should get some rest. I may not be far behind you," Kate said. "I don't want to push my stomach too much tonight."

"Thanks." Ryan helped his wife up and placed a hand on the small of her back to steer her out of the restaurant. "We'll see you in the morning?"

"Definitely," Rick grinned, picturing Kate with a big belly, and the glow that Jenny now had.

And then there were three. It was as though Kate could read his mind. He wouldn't be surprised if she could, the woman always seemed to know what he was thinking before he spoke. She nudged him with her elbow and his smile expanded, if that was even possible.

"Well if you guys are going to make it an early night, I think I'm going to go explore," Maddie announced.

"We can hang out longer," Kate told her, feeling bad that she hadn't spent much time with her friend.

"It's okay, really," Maddie assured her friend. "I'm a big girl, I can find my own fun," she winked. Kate knew that look. That look meant Maddie would be on the prowl.

"Just try not to scar Alexis, okay?" Kate begged, while Rick nodded profusely beside her.

Maddie laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it!" And with that, she got up and left them alone at the table.

"And then there were two," Rick narrated, causing Kate to laugh because it was just what she had been thinking.

"You're always in my head!"

"Correction. You're always in _my_ head. What do you say we actually go get some rest?" he asked, taking in her tired eyes.

"I think that sounds great. _Someone_ hasn't been letting me get much sleep!"

"Oh sure, blame me." Rick stood and pulled her to her feet, letting her lean into his side and wrapping his arm around her.

"Don't worry I will," she teased, pressing a kiss to his jaw.

"I guess I can handle it. I mean, after all, I'm going to be dealing with the blame for a while."

"For a lifetime," Kate smiled, resting her head on his shoulder as they made their way to the elevator, and up to their wonderfully comfortable suite.

"For always," he corrected, poking her in the side, as if he had to remind her of their word.

Kate didn't need the reminder, but was always happy to hear the word and repeat it. "Always." She allowed herself to be steered into their room where Kate was sure she would be able to get some rest. Rick looked at her with those deep, blue eyes. Well, she was _almost_ sure she'd get some sleep.

_So I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever been pregnant, so anything in here, especially in regards to the drinking I have found out through research. Feel free to let me know though if you find any discrepancies! Thanks for reading!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Note: Thanks to everyone for your reviews, you guys are awesome! I couldn't ask for better readers! _

**I don't own Castle. **

Chapter 14.

"What a trip!" Rick dropped their bags just inside of the front door, following Kate and Alexis inside. "Thanks for planning everything, Pumpkin." He moved forward to squeeze his daughter.

"No problem, Dad. I'm so glad you guys had a good time. I'm sorry you were sick though, Kate."

"It's okay. I still had fun," Kate reassured her.

"Good. I'll see you guys in a bit. I'm going to go unpack." Alexis turned her attention to her phone and made her way upstairs. Rick and Kate laughed when she almost ran into the wall because her attention was so focused on her texting.

"Think she's texting that Nate guy?" Rick questioned, looking thoughtfully at Kate.

"Maybe. I'm just glad to see she's not upset about Pi anymore."

"Me too. At least this guy goes to Columbia. I'd be willing to bet he's not a fruitarian either."

"You mean you don't want a son-in-law who only eats fruit?" Kate teased.

"Whoah, who said anything about a son-in-law. Don't rush her!"

Kate laughed again, pleased to know she could always push his buttons and went to grab her suitcase to take it into their room.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking my bag to go unpack…"

"You don't need to be carrying anything heavy. I'll get it."

"Rick. I appreciate it, but I'm pregnant not weak. I can handle carrying one suitcase. It's not even that heavy."

"Can you please just let me spoil you a little?" he pleaded, giving her his puppy dog eyes. "I'll give you a surprise…"

"What kind of a surprise?" Kate asked, giving in and handing him her suitcase.

"You'll have to wait and see!" Rick grabbed his suitcase in his other hand and led the way to their room. He placed Kate's suitcase on the floor and his on the bed so he could unzip it.

"How long do I need to wait?"

"Three…two…one…" he began, pulling a bag out of his suitcase and holding it behind his back.

Kate tried to peer around him to see what it was but he turned in order to maintain the element of surprise.

"Are you sure you want to see it?" he asked.

Her look said she was, but she moved forward, tickling him, for once giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Rick doubled over in laughter, squirming to get out of Kate's reach. "Uncle! Uncle!" he screamed, sounding like a little girl, which caused Kate to laugh harder. "You win! I'll show you!"

That made her stop. Kate backed up, giving him space to catch his breath. He was bending over, hands on his knees, breathing heavily when she leaped forward and grabbed the bag out of his hands.

Rick watched carefully as Kate opened the bag, eyes growing wide as she pulled out the tiny white onesie. It read _Someone who loves me very much went to Vegas and got me this onesie!_ Kate's eyes filled with tears and she turned to face her fiancé who quickly crossed the room and pulled her to him.

"It's perfect. When did you do this?" she said as she pulled back slightly to look at him.

"Oh, you know," he shrugged. "I have my ways."

"I love you. Thank you so much. This is perfect for the little one. I should probably call and schedule an appointment, just to make sure everything is okay."

"I love you too. You're welcome. I thought it would be a cute reminder for us of when we found out. Go for it. Just let me know when it is so I can come with you."

"You don't have to - "

"I want to. I want to be there every step of the way. Every appointment, every craving, every tear, every smile, every feeling that takes over," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Deal," Kate winked, and walked over to grab her phone to schedule her appointment.

While he was waiting, Rick busied himself unpacking their suitcases, separating the clothes that needed to be washed and those he could put away. It didn't take long for Kate to come back, nudging him to get his attention.

"We have an appointment at 3 today. I guess they had a last minute cancellation." Kate sat on the bed and closed her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Rick sat beside her, worried.

Kate slowly opened her eyes and turned slightly to look at him, pulling her leg up onto the bed and holding it to her chest. "I'm just nervous, I guess."

Rick reached out and grabbed her hand, and traced small circles with his thumb over her palm. "Which part are you nervous about?"

"All of it," she confessed, looking down at her knees. "Rick. I know you're going to be a great Dad. You already are. But me? I'm worried I'm going to let you down. I don't know how to raise a kid - "

Rick quickly interrupted her. "Kate, don't you see? You are already a parent. Who does Alexis go to when she has trouble with guys? You. Who is more like a mother to her than her own mother? You. Who did she call Mom recently? You. All that matters is how much you love this kid – everything else we will figure out, together."

Kate leaned forward, resting her forehead on his. "Thanks, that means a lot. But I'm still nervous for everything else. Telling Alexis, telling the guys, giving birth…" she trailed off.

"Babe, it's completely normal to be nervous. I promise you," he said as he kissed her forehead softly.

She just sat there a moment, taking a deep breath, before she looked up into his deep blue eyes that were sparkling at her. It was all the reassurance she needed. "We're going to be great at this, aren't we?"

"Oh for sure! Granted, I'm sure between the two of us, we will manage to mess this kid up plenty," he teased, happy to see her smile.

"With you as a father, I'm going to have my hands full with two kids," she teased back.

Their laughter was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," Rick called.

Alexis poked her head around the door just as Kate hid the onesie behind her back. "I'm going to go meet Nate and his friends. I'll be back later."

"Okay," Rick said. "If you're not back too late, we can take you over to see the new place?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'll text later to let you know."

"Have fun Lex," Kate told her, smiling as her stepdaughter's face pinked in slight embarrassment before she turned and headed for the door.

"She likes him," Rick stated.

"Ya think?" Kate poked him, still in a playful mood.

"Ha-ha-ha. So, any predictions, boy or girl?"

The question threw her off. She hadn't really given it much thought. Okay, who was she kidding, whenever she had thought about kids with Rick, she always imagined a little boy running around with his father's eyes. Kate lost herself in a scene of a little boy with messy brown hair, about three years old, with startlingly blue eyes, running towards her, grinning from ear to ear as he showed her a scribbled drawing of their family. It was, in one word, perfection.

"Earth to Kate."

"Oh, sorry," she came out of her little daydream. "I was just thinking."

"About?"

"About a little boy who looks just like his Daddy," she explained, cheeks flushing slightly.

"A little boy," Rick grinned from ear to ear, the same smile she had imagined their little boy to have. "I'd be happy either way. I know our little girl would look just like her Mom."

It was his turn to think about the future. Rick pictured a pretty girl with her mother's hair and eyes of about fourteen, begging them to let her go on a date. He shuddered outwardly and Kate looked puzzled.

"If we have a girl, she's not going to be allowed out of the house until she's at least 30. The boys will be all over her," he said, looking completely serious.

Kate laughed. "You let Alexis date."

"I scared her boyfriends for awhile," he pouted. "But she wore me down. Maybe the next one won't try."

"Right," Kate said, reassuringly. "I'm sure if she's her mother's daughter she will be a perfect angel," she winked at Rick, causing him to frown.

"I don't want to think about that yet," he mumbled.

Kate patted him on his back. "Just think, you have awhile before that will happen. You have time to prepare yourself. Who knows, if we have a boy, it won't be a problem. Hell, you'll probably be encouraging him to go after the ladies, teaching him all of your secrets."

That made him smile. "Yeah, you're right. Who knows, we might not get a girl until the second or third time." He laughed as her face went pale.

"Second or third?"

Rick grinned mischievously. "You never know!"

"Let's just take this one kid at a time."

"Yes, ma'am." Rick leaned in and kissed her, glancing over to find the time. His gaze caught the wedding clock he had unpacked for Kate on her nightstand. _Wedding Countdown: 15 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Rick smiled, "I'm glad you like your clock, it's just not helpful when you actually want to know the time."

Kate pulled her phone out of her pocket. "We still have an hour. But don't make fun of my clock. I love to look and see the countdown until I'm your wife."

"Who would have thought? Tough Katherine Beckett is such a romantic!"

She rolled her eyes, and became serious again. "Have you ever thought about names Rick?"

He thought for a moment. "I have, but I'm curious to hear what you think first."

"I like Alexander for a boy, after you," she said shyly. Rick was unbelievably touched.

"That's sweet, Kate. I like that too. What about the middle name?"

"Mark – from Mark Twain. I always figured you would want to have our kids continue the tradition of being named after famous authors."

"Alexander Mark Castle. I love it. What about for a girl?"

"Your turn to go first, Mr. Castle."

Rick sighed in mock defeat. "Okay. I don't know how you'll feel about this."

Kate looked at him silently telling him to continue.

"If it is okay with you, I was thinking we should have Johanna in there somewhere. Either first name or middle name – it doesn't matter to me, but I think it would be nice to have your mother as a part of our daughter."

Kate's eyes filled with tears. She nodded, unable to get the words out. After a few moments she spoke. "You are the sweetest man, you know that?"

It was a testament to how much he loved her and understood how important this moment was that he didn't let that statement inflate his ego. Rick just kissed her. "I love you," he told her as they pulled apart.

"I love you too." She really did, more than she had ever thought possible. And somehow it seemed her love for him still grew every day. "That's still just one name. What about the other?"

"I've always kind of liked the name Margret, from Margret Rey. Alexis and I always loved reading Curious George."

Kate smiled. "This was surprisingly easy for us. I think it just goes to show how similar our minds have gotten to be."

"True. I'm used to you arguing with me!"

"Only when it comes to your crazy stories!"

"If I'm not mistaken, I've heard you tell other people that they need to consider the story," Rick said.

"You caught me," she confessed. "If you've taught me anything, it's that nothing is quite as simple as it may seem. The story is what's important."

"Do you want to know what my favorite story is?"

"Which?"

"Ours," he confessed softly.

"I love that you're so cheesy sometimes," Kate told him, kissing him. "It's my favorite story too. I can't wait to hear how you exaggerate it to our children."

"I would never!" he exclaimed in mock horror. "I just have to tell them the truth, how you were attracted to me from the moment we met. I was just too ruggedly handsome to resist."

"Here we go again!" she laughed, shaking her head. "Come on," she pulled him to his feet. "We had better go before we are late for our appointment."

Rick followed her out the door and to the kitchen where they put on their jackets. Neither spoke, but it was clear. They were both ready and excited to hear the doctor confirm the pregnancy. They were ready for this.

_Thanks __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__ for helping me through my writer's block on this chapter!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Note: You guys are the best readers ever! I mean it - I haven't been able to stop smiling! Thank you so much for all of your kind words! I know I've said it before, but your encouragement and support really does mean the world to me! Hope you are all having a great weekend – 2 more sleeps 'til Castle!_

**Maybe if I'm nice Marlowe will share Castle with me…ha, I wish!**

Chapter 15.

They hadn't set an alarm. After their doctor's appointment had confirmed Kate's pregnancy, the couple had walked arm and arm through the streets, going into every store they found that contained baby clothes or furniture. They had fun imagining the gender of their child and coming up with scenarios of their future. When Alexis had texted she was going to have dinner with Nate, they opted for Chinese takeout and a movie night. It had been well past 2am when Rick had finally carried a sleeping Kate into bed. She had been so tired she hadn't even protested.

Kate stretched and rolled over into the arms of her sleeping fiancé. He pulled her into his chest without waking up and she let out a contented sigh. They were having a baby! And getting married in…she glanced at her clock reading _Wedding Countdown: 15 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Only two weeks! Kate couldn't believe that just a short time ago she was upset about being fired. Now, here she was, two weeks from getting married to the love of her life with a baby on the way.

Rick's arms tightened around her stomach, rubbing the spot where her baby bump would soon be. She grinned, and rested her hand on top of his.

"Morning Kate, morning Peanut," Rick said sleepily.

"Peanut?" she laughed.

"Yeah," Kate could hear the smile in his voice. "It's our little Peanut right now, until we find out the gender at least."

"Our little Peanut, I like that."

"Can you believe that two weeks from today we're getting married?" Rick asked as he propped himself up on his elbow to look at her.

"Yes, and no," she sat up and leaned against the headboard. "In a way it seems like it is coming so fast, and in the other, it's like we've been waiting forever."

"Forever, five years, whichever," Rick teased.

Kate rolled her eyes, "I know, I know. It really has been forever. But you know what they say, every thing we have been through has led us right here to this moment. I wouldn't trade that for anything at all."

"Same here. Hey – I have an idea."

"Okay, what's that?"

"Well, we haven't decided on the song for our first dance, right?"

"Right. We need to do that so we can let the DJ know."

"Well, with what you just said, it reminded me of that song by Rascal Flatts, God Bless the Broken Road. Don't you think that's us?"

Kate smiled and started to sing, "_I set out on a narrow way, many years ago, hoping I would find true love along the broken road, but I got lost a time or two, wiped my brow kept pushing through, I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you,"_ she trailed off as though she had just realized she was singing, and the color rose up her cheeks.

"Why'd you stop? I love listening to you sing," he told her earnestly, squeezing her hand.

"Oh you're full of it," she told him, not quite sure he was being serious.

"Please? For me? And Peanut?" Rick threw the baby in there because he had a feeling she wouldn't be able to resist. He was right.

_"Every long lost dream led me to where you are,"_ she began softly. _"Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms, this much I know is true, that God blessed the broken road, that led me straight to you. I think about the years I've spent, just passing through, I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you, but you just smile and take my hand, you've been, you understand, it's all part of a grander plan that is coming true. Ever long lost dream led me to where you are, others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms, this much I know is true that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you. But now I'm just rolling home into my lover's arms, this much I know is true, that God blessed the broken road, that led me straight to you." _ Kate had been steadily getting louder as the song went on and was surprised to hear Rick clapping when she finished. She quickly hid her face from him so he wouldn't see the color that she could feel heating her cheeks.

"You're an amazing singer, Kate. It's too bad I have to wait for snippets in the shower or when you think I'm not paying attention to you. You should know by now I'm _always_ paying attention where you're concerned."

Why did he always have the right words? "Thanks, babe. I don't know. I just get embarrassed. But you have such a way with words," she lifted her head to kiss him sweetly, "and you make everything so much better." Kate looked at him almost sadly when she said this.

"Is that a bad thing?" Rick asked, lifting her chin so she was looking right into his deep blue eyes.

"Of course not."

"Well then someone should tell your face," he teased her, expecting to see her grin, but instead watching her frown.

"I was just thinking. Maybe we shouldn't write our own vows, Rick."

Rick just looked at her, knowing if he gave her a moment she would continue. He was right.

"You're a best selling author, Rick. You have a way with words that I will never be able to come close to matching. You make me feel like I'm the most special woman in the world on a daily basis, and I'm just afraid you'll be disappointed with whatever I write." Kate looked down and was surprised to feel a tear sliding down her face. Damn hormones.

"Hey, Kate. Look at me," Rick pleaded. He saw the tear splash down onto her leg. "Babe, I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You have no idea the effect you have on me. What you may think are just simple words, well, they move mountains when you say them to me."

Kate looked up into his eyes and saw the sincerity radiating through them. When she still didn't say anything Rick brushed the tears aside with his thumb and continued. "And when you just sang that song, wow, Kate. I could actually feel the love from you. You have an extraordinary ability to show your love for me, and I wouldn't change that for anything. I know I will love whatever it is you write for me, even if it is just one word – always."

She gave him a teary smile. "Always? That's all I have to write?"

"If that's all I get, I will be a very happy man."

"Well if I can't come up with anything else, that's what you'll get," Kate told him, knowing already that she would do the best she could to come up with vows that were just as beautiful as what he was likely to write.

Rick got up off the bed, pulling Kate with him. "Pancakes?" he asked her, laughing when her stomach rumbled in response.

"I guess Peanut's hungry," she told him. "I'll be out in a minute."

Rick nodded and walked out into the kitchen to find Alexis already putting pancake mix on the griddle.

"Morning, Pumpkin! You read my mind. I was just coming to make pancakes for my two favorite ladies."

"Don't you mean three darling?" Martha asked, coming down the stairs.

Alexis smiled as her Dad fumbled for an excuse. "Well, I didn't know you were home, Mother."

"Mhmm. I'm heading out, so I suppose you were close enough. I have a class. Have a lovely day all." With that, Martha strode over to the door and closed it behind her.

"Are you putting chocolate chips in them?" Rick asked his daughter, peering over at the batter.

"Do you even need to ask?"

"Silly me. Great minds…"

"Of course," Alexis giggled, turning to address her soon to be stepmother. "Morning Kate!"

"Morning Lex! Looks like you beat your Dad to breakfast. It smells amazing!"

"Thanks," Alexis said flipping the first few onto a plate. "Breakfast is served!"

Rick and Kate pulled chairs over and sat at the breakfast bar as Alexis finished making the rest of the pancakes. Kate doused her stack in syrup and whipped cream, while Rick glanced over at her and laughed.

"What?" she demanded.

"Are you gonna save any of that for us?" Rick teased, pointing at the nearly empty syrup bottle.

"Sorry," Kate mumbled, turning red for what felt like the thousandth time that morning, "I didn't mean to. It came out fast!"

"Of course it did," Alexis decided to get in on the teasing too.

Kate couldn't help but laugh. Her plate really did look a bit ridiculous. "So Lex, did you have fun with Nate last night?"

It was her stepdaughter's turn to turn pink. "Yeah," she said, quickly turning to grab a plate, hoping they missed her blush.

Rick and Kate shared a knowing look while her back was to them.

"Good," Kate smiled at her as she turned back to face them. "Hey, do you want to go with us to take a look at the new place?"

"Sure," Alexis said, taking a bite out of her pancake. She looked at Kate a moment. "Hey, how are you feeling? I forgot to ask yesterday."

"A bit better, thanks for asking."

"Well ladies, what do you say we finish up breakfast and head over to the new place? Then maybe we can do some shopping and grab lunch?"

Kate nodded in agreement because she had just taken a huge bite of pancake complete with dripping syrup and a mountain of whipped cream.

"Looking at the place definitely sounds good, but I'll have to play lunch by ear," Alexis told her Dad who attempted his infamous puppy dog face. "Dad, that look doesn't work on me. I've had lots of practice ignoring it."

"It was worth a try," he pouted.

They finished up their breakfasts and everyone changed so they could head over to their new building, only stopping for a coffee at their favorite shop on the corner.

"What do you want, Lex?" Rick asked.

"A grande mocha with an extra shot, thanks!"

"Kate?"

"My usual. Oh, but can you make it a decaf?"

"Sure thing." Rick turned to the barista just as Alexis' head whipped around to look at Kate.

"Decaf? Since when do you have decaf?" Alexis questioned, staring intently at Kate's face.

"Um, well, since," Kate fumbled for words. "Since I was sick, I figured it would be better that way," she finished as she looked at Rick for help.

"Sick," Alexis said quietly. "Oh. My. God. You're pregnant!" she squealed the last word and several people turned their heads to look at them.

Rick whipped his head around to face them and caught Kate's look of shock. "Well she is pretty observant," he told his fiancé who nodded in agreement.

"Sorry, Lex, we were going to tell you," Kate apologized. "We just wanted to wait until the wedding was over, so there was only one exciting thing at a time."

"It's okay, I understand! I'm going to be a big sister!" she shrieked, unable to contain her excitement. "When did you find out?"

Rick handed them each their drink and answered as Kate took a sip of hers. "In Vegas when Kate was really sick. Now you're the only one who knows. Can we keep it that way until after the wedding?"

"Of course," Alexis leaped forward and enveloped her parents in a giant hug. "I'm so excited!"

"I'm glad. I wasn't sure how you would feel about it," Kate confessed as they walked over to their new building.

"I've always wanted a little brother or sister," Alexis admitted grinning profusely.

They reached the door and the doorman smiled in greeting. "Mr. and Mrs. Castle, they told me you would be by this morning."

"So nice to see you again, Tony," Rick said, offering his hand. "This is our daughter, Alexis."

"So nice to meet you," Tony told her, ushering them inside.

"This is pretty," Alexis was looking around the entryway at the oak floors and mahogany carpets. "Very homey."

"Wait until you see upstairs," Kate pulled her towards the elevator.

The tour didn't take long and it was clear that Alexis loved the new place as much as they did.

"You know, I have to admit I was a little upset at the thought of leaving the loft," Alexis told them.

"I think your Dad was too," Kate replied, wanting Alexis to know she wasn't alone in her feelings.

"Yeah, I guess I was," Rick added.

"But, after seeing this place, and knowing that there's going to be a new baby in the family," Alexis began, "I think it will be great to make some new memories in a new home."

"Lex," Kate's eyes brimmed with tears. "That's so sweet! You're going to make a great big sister, you know that?"

Alexis beamed. "Thanks, Kate, that means a lot. You're a great Mom."

The damn broke and the tears came streaming down Kate's face. "Hormones," she said, explaining. "But thanks, honey. Coming from you, that means the world to me."

"Hey, what about me?" Rick demanded.

They laughed at him. "You're a great Dad too," Alexis said, hugging him tightly. "This kid is going to have so much fun playing laser tag with us. I can't wait to teach them all of my secrets so we can gang up on you!"

Rick shook his head. "No way, not fair. Wait. I've got it; I get Kate on my team! Adults versus kids, it'll be epic!"

Kate laughed. "Peanut isn't even showing in my stomach yet and you are already plotting to take him or her out in laser tag." Rick looked at her expectantly. "Okay, you're on. I'll be on your team. We can take 'em."

Alexis giggled, "yeah, you guys wish. I'm so excited that I'll have a new little partner in crime!"

"So what do you think, Pumpkin?" Rick asked as they waved goodbye to Tony and headed back down the street. "Do you think we can convince you to join us for lunch and shopping?"

Alexis looked down at her phone and back up at her parents. "Can we go to a baby store?" she grinned mischievously, knowing they wouldn't be able to resist.

Rick and Kate looked at each other and smiled. "I think that can be arranged," Kate told her stepdaughter.

"Yesssss!" Alexis cheered as Rick hooked arms with both of his girls and they strolled down the street.

Kate just listened to her family chatting animatedly about their newest addition and all the fun they would have together. They really were a perfect little family. She had never thought she would be this lucky. After her mother's murder, family wasn't even on her radar – she was so used to doing everything alone. Now, well now, she was very far from alone and it was the best feeling in the world. Rick was right – the broken road was what led them to each other. Every moment of pain in her life led her to this wonderful man and Alexis and their little Peanut. As much as she wished her mom were there to enjoy this moment with her, Kate was glad to have a family again. Rick, Alexis, Martha, her Dad, and now this little Peanut, she was overcome with happiness.

_I also don't own the Rascal Flatts lyrics, but I do love them!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Note: Thanks so much for all of your reviews! I had a rough day today, and they truly made me feel better. This fandom is the best…new friends, wonderful people - words just can't express how much I appreciate all the story love! __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__ – just thanks for everything today! Castle tomorrow – YAY!_

**I don't own Castle.**

Chapter 16.

"Rick?" Kate nudged him, propping herself up on her elbow.

He didn't respond.

"Rick?" she nudged him again and he grunted. "Are you asleep?"

"Mmm," he mumbled.

Kate glanced at her phone, wincing when she saw it was two in the morning. "Peanut's hungry."

She smiled when she saw his eyes open at this. It's only the third night in a row she's woken up starving. Kate hadn't really believed her pregnant friends when they described their weird cravings, but, well, here she was.

Rick pushed himself up and leaned back against the headboard, looking at her. "What'll it be this – uh – morning?" he said as he glanced at his own phone, attempting to hide his wince when he saw the early hour.

Kate sat up and leaned onto his shoulder, and looked up at him hesitantly. "You're gonna laugh."

"Pickles and ice cream?" he asked.

"It's probably worse than that."

"What could be worse than pickles and ice cream?"

She sighed, her desire for his grotesque concoction getting the better of her. "A smorelette."

Rick looked over at his fiancé, and grinned from ear to ear. "I thought you thought that was gross." He was clearly loving this.

"That was before. Now…now that damn smorelette is all I can think about." Kate buried her head in her hands. "I know, I can't believe it either!"

Rick laughed, then pulled himself out of bed and padded into the kitchen. Kate got up and threw on a robe, quickly following him. She pulled out the bar stool and sat watching him.

It may have been two in the morning, but Rick was still dancing around the kitchen to whatever tune was playing in his head. His back was to her, so he had no idea she had followed him. Kate smirked; she really loved this man so much. She couldn't contain her laugh though when he began shaking his butt side to side and he turned quickly to face her.

"Oh, I didn't know you were in here," he said, flushing. It was so rare for her to see him blush, and she had to admit, it was rather sexy.

"Don't stop on my account," Kate grinned.

"It's uh – it's ok, I was going to stop anyway." Rick busied himself flipping the smorelette, clearly embarrassed.

"You know," Kate began. "I love it when you dance like that," she raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Rick just stared at her. "S-seriously?" he asked incredulously.

"Seriously." Kate watched him take the delish looking smorelette off the stove and got up to take his hand.

"It's gonna get cold," Rick pointed out, but Kate didn't care.

"Rick, it's a smorelette. I doubt it can get any more disgusting. It'll be fine in a bit." With that, she led him back to the bedroom, ready to get her _other_ hunger satisfied. This was an aspect of pregnancy her fiancé really didn't mind.

Rick rolled over, and grinned at her. "Wow. Just wow."

"You liked it? What about the-"

"Especially that part," he grinned. It was like their first night together all over again. "Just when I think you can't surprise me anymore, you do."

"Right back atcha babe," Kate said as her stomach rumbled.

Rick laughed. "Are you and Peanut ready for your smorelette?"

"Surprisingly, yes!" Kate giggled, and moved to get out of bed.

"Why don't you stay here? I'll go reheat it, and be right back."

"Thanks," she smiled and nestled back under the covers, looking over to see her countdown clock. _Wedding Countdown: 12 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Time was flying by. So much had happened since she was fired – wedding planning, Las Vegas, finding out she was pregnant, buying a new home, and she couldn't forget her newfound love of smorelettes.

Rick came back into the room carrying a tray, complete with a plate for himself as well. Kate looked at him, her eyes questioning and he shrugged. "I figured I might as well have one too. They are really pretty good, if I do say so myself."

Kate just shook her head. "You would think that."

"Says the woman who woke me up at 2am for one," he teased.

"Touché," she conceded, taking a bite and sighing in contentment.

Rick laughed.

"What?" Kate demanded, turning to face him.

"I just never thought I would see the day when Kate Beckett was sitting in bed enjoying a smorelette, that's all."

She smirked. "Hey, me either," but she was. Something about the chocolate, marshmallow and egg combination was just magic to her pregnant body. This was Kate's third in three days and she was already thinking about it as her snack for the next day. Pregnancy was weird.

"What do you want to do today?" Rick asked as he attempted to scrape every last bit of chocolate and marshmallow off of his plate.

"You missed a spot," Kate told him pointing to his plate. When he was distracted she swiped her finger through her own chocolate and spread it across his cheek.

"Hey! Not cool!" he laughed, trying to get her back. Unfortunately all of his chocolate was gone. "You just wait. When you least expect it…BAM. I'll get you."

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Kate said in mock horror, throwing her arms up in the air.

"You should be." Rick attempted to change the subject. "So, plans for today?"

"Don't you have to write? I thought you had a chapter due. You haven't written in a while."

"That's what Gina keeps telling me. I know I have to get it in, but I'd much rather spend time with you." Rick leaned over and kissed Kate on her forehead.

"Why don't you write now? I know you and I know you won't go back to sleep. I want to work on my vows anyway, so I can keep you company."

"I already wrote mine," Rick grinned at her surprised expression.

"When did you do that?"

"The other night after you went to bed. I couldn't sleep, and after watching you sleep for a bit, I just knew what I had to write."

He looked so proud of himself. "But no pressure," Kate said.

"Hey, remember what we talked about? All that matters to me is that the vows are going to be from you. That alone means the world to me."

"Okay," she gave in as she got out of bed and put on his robe.

"Hey! What am I supposed to wear?"

"What you're wearing now." Kate glanced over at him, taking in his oldest sweatpants and batman shirt. "I just like being wrapped up in something that smells like you."

"Pregnancy has turned you into a sap. And I love it." Rick crossed over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Let's get writing." Kate led them into the office where she sat herself on the other side of his desk, and pulled out a pen and paper. Rick settled himself down with his computer and began to type.

The couple sat like this for a number of hours, both lost track of time. They occasionally glanced at one another as if for reassurance, and then went back to their respective projects.

When Kate was finally satisfied with her vows, after she had written and rewritten them four times, she glanced up and sat back to enjoy watching world famous author Richard Castle at work. His fingers flew across the keyboard so fast it sounded like music. Every few minutes his brow would furrow and he would delete what he had written before starting again. Kate leaned back in her chair, tucked her feet underneath herself and let the music of her fiancé typing lull her into a trancelike state somewhere between sleep and being awake.

Rick looked up after awhile and was surprised to see Kate asleep in her chair. Her head was leaning over her shoulder in what had to have been an extremely uncomfortable position. Before he went to wake her, he couldn't help but notice the paper sitting in front of her. Rick figured she'd never know if he glanced at her vows, so he slipped his hand forward across the desk to grab the piece of paper.

Kate swatted at his hand. "Nice try writer man," she said sleepily.

"What do you mean? I wasn't doing anything. I finished my chapter, and was coming to wake you up."

"Mmhmm. You finished your chapter already?"

"When inspiration strikes, it strikes," he mused.

"I could say the same thing," Kate told him, folding her piece of paper and standing up.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, which is why I'm going to go give this to Alexis to hide from you until the wedding. And don't even try looking for it. I know she'll hide it well." With that, Kate turned from the room and went to find Alexis.

Rick knew she would be able to write her vows. Hell, they would probably be better than his. Everyone expected his to be something special, and he hoped they would do justice to his feelings.

He heard Kate and Alexis coming back down the stairs and followed the sound of their voices into the kitchen. Alexis took one look around the kitchen and asked, "Smorelettes again?"

"Guilty," Kate shrugged.

"You guys are gross." Alexis grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "See you guys later, I'm going to go meet Nate before class."

"Have fun, Pumpkin," Rick called as she shut the door.

"You know, we probably should let everyone know what we decided about the whole Best Man/Maid of Honor situation," Kate said thoughtfully.

"You're right. Espo texted me about that last night. As of yesterday they didn't have a case. Should I see if everyone wants to meet at Remy's for lunch? I think Alexis will be out of class by then?"

"Sounds good."

Rick texted Ryan, Esposito, Lanie, and Alexis and was glad to hear that everyone could make it for lunch. Rick and Kate spent their morning packing boxes for their move, which wouldn't happen until after their honeymoon. They talked to Henry and were excited to finally have a closing date in sight. They would have a week after their return to finish packing before they would be able to move into their new home.

"Are you excited?" Rick asked as he packed another box of books. Sometimes their combined collection astounded him.

"About which part?"

"Any of it? All of it?"

"I'm excited to finally be your wife. I'm thrilled to be moving into our new home. I am over the moon about being a mom, even though I am still a bit nervous."

"Good! Me too."

"So are you going to tell me where we are going for our honeymoon yet?"

"Nice try," Rick told her, laughing. "Way to sneak that in there."

"I tried," Kate confessed.

Rick shook his head, smiling to himself, knowing she would never guess what he had planned.

Before they knew it, it was time to meet everyone for lunch. Rick finished stacking the last of the boxes they had packed and grabbed their jackets out of the closet. He helped Kate into hers and led her from the loft to face the reactions of their friends.

Esposito and Ryan were already there, waiting at their usual table. Rick and Kate joined them and were closely followed by Lanie and Alexis. They all made small talk as they gave their orders to their waitress until Esposito finally broke the ice.

"Hey, man, why'd you call us here? Did you finally make your decision about who the _best_ man for the job would be?"

"Actually, that's exactly why we called you guys here," Rick told him.

"So you decided to go with me, right?" Ryan asked, looking between Kate and Rick.

"Bro. Let's be honest. He's going to pick me." Esposito said confidently, puffing out his chest.

Lanie and Alexis laughed and Kate just shook her head. "Boys will be boys, no matter what their age may be," she teased.

"So?" Ryan questioned, looking at Rick.

"Will you guys be my best men?" Rick asked. "You guys are both like brothers to us. I couldn't possibly just pick one of you. It would mean a lot to me if you would both stand up there with me."

The guys looked at each other and grinned. "I guess I can share with him," Ryan said, elbowing his partner.

"You got it bro," Esposito added. "But really, I'll be in charge," he winked at Rick and Kate.

"Thanks guys," Rick said sincerely. "I mean that."

"I guess it's my turn," Kate cut in. "Lanie, you've been my best friend. I love you like a sister, and I am so glad to have you in my life. Alexis, I don't even know where to begin. You are such an amazing young woman and I am lucky to be able to call you my daughter. You both mean the world to me, and it would make my day even better if you were co-maids of honor."

"Girl, of course I will," Lanie smiled, tearing up.

"Definitely, Mom," Alexis added. "Thanks for including me in this."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kate told them, tearing up herself.

"Weddings, they get you every time," Lanie mistook Kate's hormonal tears for wedding tears, but that was okay by Kate.

"They really do," Kate told her friend, catching a slight wink from her fiancé.

Rick and Kate had discussed the situation at length. Rather than make any one person feel like they weren't as special, they opted to have their friends and Alexis share the roles. It was unconventional, but they had never really been a conventional couple. All that mattered was that this worked for them, and added to making their day as special as possible. If everyone in the bridal party was happy, they were happy.

The group chatted happily for a while. At one point everyone ganged up on Rick, trying to get him to disclose the mystery honeymoon location. He didn't budge. Finally, it was Ryan, Esposito and Lanie getting called to a crime scene that ended their festivities. The three said quick goodbyes and hastened out of the restaurant, off to solve another murder.

"I've got to go too," Alexis told her parents. "My next class is in half an hour."

"Thanks for meeting us," Kate said, pulling her in for a hug.

"Anytime!" Alexis gave her dad a peck on the cheek and hurried out of the restaurant.

Kate stared after them and was quiet for a few minutes.

"You okay?" Rick asked her, rubbing a thumb over her cheek.

"Yeah."

"You wish you were going to the crime scene with them, don't you?"

Kate looked at him a moment. "Yes and no."

Rick gave her a minute to collect her thoughts before she continued.

"Some days I miss it more than others. When they got that call, I was ready to fly into action with them. I didn't even remember at first that I'm not on the job anymore. But when I did, I wasn't as disappointed as I would have thought. If this had happened even 2 years ago, my life would have stopped. But now, with you, my life has been so much more than work. I'm not just detective Beckett, I'm Kate, soon to be wife and mother. I'm happy. I don't know if that really answers your question…" she trailed off.

His look said it all. Rick's blue eyes crinkled with happiness and he pulled her in for a kiss. "I'm happy too. I love you, Kate."

"I love you too, Rick."

_"Until tomorrow…because it is more hopeful." -RC_


	17. Chapter 17

_Note: Wow. Just wow. Castle really is the best fandom. You guys are always there, ready to comment with something to make me smile, and I am so grateful. To the guest reviewer, I am so glad you enjoyed the story enough to read it in one sitting! To any other new readers, welcome, I hope you are enjoying the story as well! And to my loyal, wonderful followers, I can't express how much your support means to me. I can't believe I have 200 followers, and am getting closer to 40,000 views. I never would have thought that was possible. I also think I'll be hitting 100 pages with this next chapter. I've never been inspired to write so much before! Thanks again everyone! Happy Castle Monday!_

**Let me check. Nope, still don't own Castle. Sad!**

Chapter 17.

Rick rolled over in search of his phone, and instead saw, _Wedding Countdown: 10 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _He grinned. Kate never failed to surprise him. This clock started off as a joke and instead had turned into a daily source of joy for his fiancé. He couldn't believe the day was approaching so quickly. They had everything done, with the exception of finalizing their favors. He would have to remember to talk to Kate about that when she woke up. For now though, Rick had to finalize their honeymoon plans while his beautiful fiancé was still asleep. He rolled over and crept out of their room into his office.

He wanted the honeymoon to be perfect. Rick checked and double checked everything, almost daily, in order to ensure everything would be everything Kate could ever dream of and more. He pulled out his computer, and looked over their resort website again, contemplating whether or not he should schedule activities or just let them take it a day at a time. A day at a time sounded best. After all, it was their honeymoon – they might not even make it out of their room. Rick grinned to himself.

"What are you smiling for?"

Rick nearly jumped out of his skin. He slammed his computer shut and looked over at the doorway. Kate was standing there wrapped up in his robe, leaning against the doorframe, looking positively radiant.

"Just thinking," he left it at that, as she walked over and sat in his lap. Rick wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a long, slow kiss. It was a moment before he realized she had snaked her hand around his back and was attempting to pry open his computer while he was distracted. He pulled away from her quickly. "Hey! What do you think you're doing Missy?"

"Nothing," she replied sneakily. "Can't a girl kiss her fiancé?"

"Riiiight. That's all you were doing." He stood up abruptly, moving her off of his lap and pulled his laptop out of her reach.

"So you won't mind if I take this over here?" Rick asked, walking away, holding the laptop in the air, just out of her reach.

"You're such a child," Kate teased, and jumped up trying to get his computer.

"Says the woman who is now jumping for my laptop."

"I was just curious," she confessed. "Honeymoon secrets?"

"Maybe," he grinned at the pout on her face that resembled the one he was famous for.

"Better be careful, your face could freeze like that."

Kate stuck her tongue out in response. "Fine, you win, I won't try to figure it out anymore. Are you really going to pack my clothes and everything?"

"Yup. Not that you'll need much of anything," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her and she rolled her eyes. "Please just relax and know you are going to love it. I want it to be a surprise for you, okay?"

"Okay," she sighed, smiling up at him. "I'll let you have your fun."

"Thank you! Now, how about some breakfast?"

Kate nodded and let Rick lead her out of the office and into the kitchen.

"What do you feel like? Another smorelette?" He made his way around the island and started fishing in the refrigerator.

"Um, I don't think so. What about some blueberry pancakes?"

"You got it!" Rick busied himself mixing the batter and carefully folded the blueberries in at the end.

Kate watched him, feeling completely content. Rick turned his back to her and made a show of shaking his butt to show off to her. "I remember how much you liked that," he told her.

She nodded. "Oh yea. I love watching my sexy fiancé work it while he's making me breakfast."

Rick took a bow before standing up and flipping the pancakes. "Oh, we need to finalize our decision for the favors. What do you want to do?"

Kate thought a moment. They were trying to decide between individual bags of coffee that said _Rick and Kate -_ _The Perfect Blend _and as a little private joke between them – a little bag containing s'mores ingredients that said _With Love from Rick and Kate. _"I think I like the coffee idea. That's just so…us."

"Agreed! I'll make the call after breakfast."

"Are you sure they'll be able to have them done on time?"

"Kate, please. You wound me." Rick looked at her and trailed a finger down his face as though he were following a tear.

"Oh right, I'm sorry. Of course Richard Castle can get it done. He's the king and rules over all," she teased.

"That's better," he smiled and passed her a plate of delicious looking pancakes and watched her dig in. "Peanut must be hungry."

Kate reached across the island and smacked his chest. "Hey no making fun of how much I eat!" It was as though something dawned on her. "What if I don't fit in my dress?"

"Babe, you're not even showing yet. Trust me, you'll be fine."

"Okay," she agreed, not really sounding sure.

"Hey, what do you say we have date night tonight? We can go out, get dressed up, the whole shebang!" Rick walked around behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

Kate turned to look at him and smiled. "That sounds great."

Rick looked at his watch, checking to see how they were on time. "Kate? Are you almost ready?" he called, craning his neck to see if he could peek into their room. No such luck.

"Almost!" she yelled from the other room.

His excitement at a night out on the town was keeping him moving, so Rick bounced around the kitchen tidying it up, even though it was already clean. They hadn't been to Le Cirque since their engagement, and Rick felt that this celebratory dinner was long over due. He loved to dress up, or rather to look at Kate all dressed up and show her off.

Rick was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Kate come up behind him. She put her arms around his waist and leaned against his back, taking in the smell of his cologne.

"You smell good," she sighed into him and he spun around quickly to pull her into a hug.

"So do you. Cherries, my favorite," he grinned down at her, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose.

Kate matched his kiss with one of her own before pulling away and leading him towards the door. "If we don't leave now we'll never make our reservation."

"Wait a second," Rick paused, watching as she turned to face him. His face lit up as he took in each and every detail of her appearance for the evening. Her hair was up in a loose French braid that wrapped from the right side of her head to the left, ending in a bun at the back of her head. Her make-up was light and effortless, highlighting her natural beauty. Kate's dress, wow. That was just about the only thought Rick could get out. It had tiny spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline, and as she turned to give him the full view, Rick saw the plunging back that left little to the imagination. The outfit was completed with a pair of red stilettos that he had never seen before. "Wow, Kate. You look absolutely stunning."

She grinned, her smile reaching clear to her sparkling eyes. "You're not so bad yourself, handsome." That was putting it lightly, she thought. Rick was wearing her favorite blue dress shirt and tie, the pairing that best brought out his eyes, making the color rival the deepest parts of the ocean. "Are you coming?" she asked, holding her hand out to catch his.

This seemed to bring him out of his trance. "Definitely." Rick crossed the room quickly, and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly as his other hand came up behind her and held onto her waist. She may have been wearing his ring, but he wanted everyone to know, Kate Beckett was his fiancé, the love of his life. Kate knew what he was thinking, and it was the same for her. Rick Castle was taken.

When they got to Le Cirque, they were quickly ushered to their usual table. Their waiter, Paul, greeted them with a polite smile. "Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett, so lovely to see you again!"

"It's nice to see you too Paul," Rick said as he pulled Kate's chair out for her.

"Can I get you something to drink? Your usual bottle of Dom Perignon?"

Kate glanced at Rick nervously, thinking it might be a little obvious if they refused.

"Actually, Paul, I called ahead, we are celebrating our upcoming wedding tonight, and I received special permission to bring in a bottle of my own. I believe it is chilling in the back for us."

"Oh yes, of course, Mr. Castle. I remember being told now. I'm so sorry for the confusion."

"It's no problem," Rick told the young man as he hurried away to get their specialty drink.

Kate looked at her fiancé quizzically.

"Oh, that," Rick shrugged. "I just figured we would see how my little plan would work. I had our sparkling juice bottled the same way it will be for our wedding. This is a good test run."

No matter how long she was with him, Rick would never cease to amaze her. All of this just to protect their secret until they were ready to share it with their family and friends. She was truly touched that he would go to so much trouble.

"You're amazing, you know that," Kate told him, rubbing her thumb over his hand.

"It was nothing," he replied, obviously embarrassed. This man who she had previously thought of as a playboy was really quite modest. Yet another surprise that always seemed to catch her off guard. _If the world only knew the real Richard Castle_, she thought. They would be truly amazed.

"To me, Rick, your thoughtfulness is everything." He visibly flushed at this and she couldn't hide her grin.

Paul chose this moment to come forward with the chilled bottle, and poured each of them a flute before resting the bottle on the table for their inspection. "Have you decided on your meals?"

"Not yet," Rick replied and Paul nodded before walking away to give them time to make their selections.

Kate looked at the bottle of "champagne", then over to Rick and back to the bottle again. Her eyes went misty and she had to sniff back her tears.

"Don't cry, babe, you'll ruin your make-up," Rick said in an attempt to make her laugh. It worked.

She ran her finger under her hazel eyes in an attempt to keep them from running and taking her mascara with them. "Rick, that is so sweet, I love it." Kate looked back at the bottle, reading it again. _Rick and Kate, together, Always, _and there was a handcuff dangling from the "y". It was simple, but beautiful with a touch of humor, just like them and their love. He was right when he told her that one word could be their vow alone. She was happy with what she had written, but was impressed to know that one word could stir up so much emotion.

"Good, I'm glad," he squeezed her hand. "If it has your approval, this will be what we use to toast our wedding. Take a sip, just to make sure you like it."

Kate brought the flute to her lips and tasted the bubbly cider. It was the best she ever had – crisp and fresh with a tiny hint of cinnamon. "Rick, that's amazing!"

He beamed at her. "That's what I wanted to hear!"

They perused their menus, and when Paul came back to take their orders, opted for the Chanterelle Risotto appetizer with the Chateaubriand for two. Knowing the sweet tooth his fiancé had, Rick went ahead and ordered a Crème Brulée and Chocolate Soufflé for dessert.

When Paul took their menus and walked away, Kate looked across the table at Rick and he said, "what?"

"How did you know I would want dessert?"

"Really?" Rick teased, and grinned at her mock indignant expression. "Should I call Paul over here and tell him we don't want them?"

She was a little too quick to respond, "No!" and he laughed.

"Okay, then."

The couple thoroughly enjoyed their appetizer and main course, and by the time their dessert arrived both were nearly ready to explode. The soufflé and crème bruleé called to them, however, and they ended up eating every last bite.

"That was delicious," Kate said as Rick helped her into their waiting town car. "Oh wait, Rick, did you get the bottle? I want to keep it."

"It's in the bag," he told her as he slipped in beside her.

"You think of everything," she sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder, eyes drooping slightly.

"I try," he replied as he rested his cheek on her head. "Close your eyes, I'll wake you when we're home."

Kate nestled into Rick's shoulder, wrapping her arm around his chest, taking in his scent. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too, Kate," he whispered back, noticing from the steady rise and fall of her chest that she had already fallen asleep. "Always."

_I'm so excited guys, over 100 pages! Thanks again to everyone for your support, it truly means the world to me! xoKristen_


	18. Chapter 18

_Note: Thank you everyone for your kind words. You really, truly are the best readers! I could go on and on, but I'm going to keep this short and sweet today. I reread all of the comments this morning, and have been smiling ever since. Thanks for letting me do what I love! __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__, thank you and happy crosscountrybffday!_

**Sadly I do not own Castle. **

Chapter 18.

She was strolling down the beach holding the hand of a little girl with shockingly blue eyes, laughing as her daughter screamed at the waves nipping at her feet. Her husband came running up behind them, scooping the girl up and spinning her around and around in circles. "Daddy!" she shrieked, giggling. Kate laughed. They made such a beautiful picture. She was startled by the force of a little boy hurtling himself at the back of her waist. Turning to tickle him, she saw her own eyes peeking back at her combined with her husband's tousled hair. The little boy grinned up at her and yelled, "Momma stop tickling!"

Kate's dream was interrupted by an annoying buzzing sound. "Go away," she mumbled, "Good dream."

The buzzing was persistent, and so she rolled over, looking around for the source of the noise. Kate noticed the clock and saw _Wedding Countdown: 9 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _She grinned; they were down to single digits now. She finally found her phone as the buzzing stopped, surprised to see she had a missed call from Lanie. It was only six in the morning, what could she want? Kate was just about to dial her back when Rick's phone began to buzz on his bedside table.

Kate nudged him awake. "Rick, your phone's ringing."

He turned to his side and grabbed it without opening his eyes. "Hello?" he said sleepily.

Kate was closing her eyes to go back to sleep when she felt Rick fly up next to her.

"Is he okay? What happened? Which hospital?" Rick stood up and began to pull on a pair of jeans. He threw Kate a pair of hers and she followed suit, her heart racing. "We'll be there as soon as we can," he said, hanging up the phone and turning to face Kate.

"What's wrong?" she asked, unsure of whether or not she really wanted to know.

"Javi was shot early this morning," Rick told her, eyes alight with fear as he pulled on a t-shirt.

"What happened? Is he okay?" Tears were running down Kate's face now.

Rick crossed over to her quickly, and pulled her in for a tight hug. "Lanie didn't know. We're going to go over there right now and see what we can find out."

Kate nodded numbly, and pulled on a sweatshirt as she followed Rick into the kitchen. She watched him scribble a quick note to Alexis and allowed herself to be pulled from the loft and into the elevator, unable to move on her own accord. Javi was like her brother, he had to be okay.

Rick read her mind. "Kate, he's going to be okay. We'll make sure he has whatever he needs. I promise we will do whatever we can."

She knew he would. Money could buy the best specialists, and Rick could offer that luxury.

"Thanks," she mumbled, wiping her eyes.

"Hey, look at me," he told her, tipping her chin up so she was looking into his eyes. "He's my family too."

Kate clung to him. She knew he meant it, and it was a source of comfort.

The cab ride to Lennox Hill seemed to take longer than usual, despite the fact that there was no traffic. Rick and Kate were silent, but held onto one another as though their lives depended on it. When they pulled up to the entrance, they burst through the door to find Lanie, Ryan and Jenny sitting in the waiting room.

"What happened? How's he doing?" Rick asked as they walked over. He pulled Lanie in for a hug while Ryan did the same with Kate.

"He's in surgery right now," Lanie told them, wiping her eyes. She was the strong one, so it was hard to see her shaken. "He – he wasn't wearing his vest - "

Ryan interrupted. "We were going to grab a guy for questioning. We cleared his place, but when we came out into the hallway, he was waiting. He shot Javi and ran. It's my fault," he put his head in his hand.

"Hey," Jenny said softly, and pulled his hand down so he was looking at her. "It's not your fault. And you shot the guy. You did that."

Ryan didn't say anything; he just turned to sit in one of the chairs behind them. Jenny followed him and pulled his hand into her lap.

"Lanie, how bad?" Kate asked. It was the first time she'd spoken since they had arrived.

"We're waiting to find out. He's been in there for awhile, I just wanted to know something before I called you guys, but I couldn't wait any longer."

"Hey, we want to be here," Rick reassured her. "You're family, all of you." He said firmly, squeezing her hand.

A doctor wearing bright pink scrubs came around the corner. The color seemed to be a direct contradiction to the mood of their group. "The family of Javier Esposito?"

Ryan and Jenny stood up quickly to join the others. "I'm his partner," Ryan said at the same time Lanie said, "I'm his girlfriend."

The doctor came over to them and crossed her arms. "Does he have any relatives here?"

"No," Lanie said. "We're his family."

The woman considered them a moment before continuing. "Javier is very lucky, the bullet only grazed his liver before exiting. He lost a lot of blood, but he will be okay."

Kate nearly collapsed into Rick at these words, and he held her tight around the waist.

"He'll need to stay a couple of nights for observation, but he is out of the woods," the woman told them. "He should be waking soon. I can take two of you back there with me now."

Rick gestured to Lanie and Ryan. "You guys go, we'll take Jenny to the cafeteria and get everyone breakfast and coffee."

Ryan nodded appreciatively, unable to speak. Lanie enveloped Rick and Kate in a joint hug and whispered, "thanks," before following Ryan and the cheerful pink doctor out of the waiting room.

They watched them leave before moving. "Do you ladies want to stay here?" Rick asked, turning to face Kate and Jenny.

Kate shook her head, and stepped closer to Rick, grabbing his hand. She didn't want to be away from him.

Jenny said, "No, that's okay, I'll come too. I need to stretch a bit." Her baby belly was visible now, and despite the stress of the morning Kate could tell she was glowing. Kate wondered when and if she would glow. She had never really pictured herself pregnant before. All she knew right now is she was fighting to maintain composure so she didn't lose it in front of Jenny. Tears were silently streaming down her face in relief. It wasn't even seven and the day had already been an emotional roller coaster.

The three made their way down to the cafeteria and loaded trays with mushy looking eggs and waxy pancakes. They got enough for Ryan and Lanie, and made coffee selections for each person. Rick ran back to grab some juice in case someone chose not to have caffeine. The line to check out was surprisingly long for the early hour. They attributed it to a shift change as most of the people appeared to be doctors or nurses.

Rick insisted on paying for everyone's meals, even though Jenny had tried to fight him on it. He could be pretty stubborn. Kate stayed out of their argument, feeling too weak to make much of an effort. Rick helped guide her along back to the waiting room, and shot her a questioning look to make sure she was okay.

Kate nodded to him and ate a small bite of eggs at his instance that she needed something in her stomach. Jenny ate her food quietly next to them as they waited for Lanie and Ryan to return.

Another half hour passed in silence before Lanie and Ryan rounded the corner. Rick, Kate and Jenny all stood up, their eyes searched the others for answers.

"He's asking for you two," Ryan told Rick and Kate.

"How is he?" Rick asked.

"As good as he can be," Lanie told them, reassuringly.

"He's in room 2047," Ryan said, pointing down the hall. "The elevator is through there." He took a cup of coffee gratefully from Jenny and sat down next to her.

Rick and Kate turned away from their friends and made their way down the hallway.

"You okay?" Rick asked, his eyes searching her face.

"I will be when I see him," she replied shakily. Rick nodded in understanding. She had to see with her own eyes that he was alive and okay.

They reached his room and both took a deep breath, bracing themselves for the worst. Luckily for them, that wasn't necessary. Esposito was propped up slightly in the bed, pale, but wonderfully alive.

"I was just trying to steal the focus of your wedding," he joked quietly, in an attempt to lighten the moment.

All the tears Kate had been struggling to hold in fell at that moment as she broke into sobs.

"Hey Chica, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It's still all about you," he said in an attempt at humor again.

Kate stood there, shaking and Rick put his arm around her waist and led her forward until they were standing next to the bed.

"I was so scared, Javi," she managed to get out between sobs.

"I'm right here, Kate, I'm still kicking."

He finally got a smile from her.

"You scared us," Rick told him. "I need both of my best men in one piece for the wedding!"

Esposito smiled. "I was just going for the sympathy vote. I figured maybe you'd take pity on me and boot Ryan out of his job."

Rick just shook his head and laughed, happy that Esposito was in front of him, alive and joking.

"Not funny, Javi," Kate told him and attempted to appear stern. One look from him had her smiling though.

Esposito shifted uncomfortably, and Rick asked, "Can we get you anything?"

"Nah, bro, thanks. I think I'm just gonna take a nap. These meds are kicking my ass." He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

They stood there for a moment, and watched him sleep, assuring themselves he was breathing.

"I've been told it's creepy to stare, you know," Rick told his fiancé as he grabbed her hand.

Kate smirked at him. "I wonder who told you that…"

They turned to leave, and shut the door quietly behind them. "You might know her. She's a pretty girl. Thinks she can leap tall buildings in a single bound, carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, yet still manages to laugh at some of my jokes."

"She sounds like a handful."

Rick wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. "Tell me about it," he smiled, leaning to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Rick? Thank you."

"For what?"

"For loving me. For being there for me. For everything you are and everything you do. I love you."

"You don't need to thank me for loving you, you know. If you start that, this could be a long day. Then I'll thank you, and then you'll thank me, and then Lanie, Ryan and Jenny will want to puke because of how cute we are."

Kate rolled her eyes as they headed down the hallway. "How about I just say I love you and leave it at that?"

"Better," he grinned. "I love you too. Always."

They entwined their hands and Kate leaned on Rick's shoulder as they left the elevator to rejoin their friends, glad to know that their family was safe and whole.

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter…it was a bit of a challenge for me, but I'm happy with how it turned out! xoKristen _


	19. Chapter 19

_Note: I'm so glad you guys liked the last chapter. I was pretty nervous about it because I am used to writing the fluffier pieces and was a bit unsure as to how to handle that bit of drama. Once again your comments made me smile! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, your kind words mean the world to me!_

**I do not own Castle. **

Chapter 19.

Kate crept out of bed in an attempt to allow her sleeping fiancé to rest a bit longer. He had gotten up with her every hour last night, calmed her down from every nightmare. The dreams came in flashes – her being shot, Rick being poisoned in D.C., Esposito lying in his hospital bed. She didn't know if it was morning sickness or overall fear, but each nightmare had her waking up in a cold sweat before she threw up.

Rick had been great – he sat up with her each time, rubbed her back and cradled her until she had fallen asleep. She looked over at him and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, reassured that he was still there. It still startled her how close she had come to losing him that day. Yes, she liked to tease him about his staring at her while she slept, but she understood it now. She would just never let him know that – he wouldn't ever let her live it down!

Kate glanced over at her clock and saw _Wedding Countdown: 8 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Wow. Eight days and she would be married. It was still hard to believe. Kate was just glad their entire wedding party would be there, she didn't know what she would have done if Javi had – no. She wasn't even going to think like that. Kate reached around and found her phone so she could check the time. It was seven, which meant she had an hour until she was supposed to meet Lanie for coffee. Kate wanted to get there early so she could order a decaf latte without Lanie noticing.

Kate padded into their closet to choose an outfit for the day, so lost in thought she never heard him come up behind her. It wasn't until his arms were wrapped around her middle that she knew he was there.

"I'm sorry I woke you," she said quietly as he kissed the back of her head gently.

"Don't be. I was going to get up anyway."

She turned around and looked at him quizzically.

"I've got to get a few more chapters done before we leave for our honeymoon," he grimaced. "Gina is threatening to…well, let's just say make our honeymoon a tad more difficult if I don't get them to her in time."

Kate winced. "I guess you better get them done then. I need my _husband_ in one piece."

"I won't let you down," he saluted, making her laugh. "Are you still going to meet Lanie for coffee?" he asked, taking in the circles under her eyes as he rubbed his thumb gently over the darkened color.

"Yeah, I want to see how she's doing."

"Are you feeling well enough to go?" Rick reached out to take hold of her elbows and pulled her to him, and carefully studied her face.

"I'll be fine. I know you're worried, but she needs this, Rick. I want to be there for her. I'll come home when she goes back to the hospital and take a nap. Maybe I'll be able to sleep by then."

Rick nodded his agreement as he watched her grab a pair of jeans and a deep purple sweater. It was one of her oldest most articles of clothing, but it was her favorite, and she knew Rick was partial to it as well.

While Kate bustled around their room and bathroom getting ready, Rick made his way into the office, and prepared himself for a day of writing. When she was ready, Kate looked around for him, and followed the sounds of his typing to see him sitting at his computer with his brow furrowed. He looked so cute when he was focused on his work.

She came forward, gave him a quick peck on the cheek and whispered, "Bye, Babe. See you soon."

Rick glanced up at her and muttered, "Love you," before turning his attention back to his work.

Kate smiled to herself and was careful to shut the door quietly so as not to disturb him.

She got to the coffee shop fifteen minutes before she was supposed to meet Lanie and ordered a grande decaf skinny vanilla latte. While she waited for her drink to be made, Kate leaned back and watched the people as they came and left the shop. There was a disheveled looking man who looked like he had fallen asleep at his computer the night before - there were still key prints indented on his face. A young woman entered the shop, clearly wearing last night's clothes. _Oh the walk of shame_, Kate thought to herself, hiding a smile. The girl seemed unashamed and proudly ordered a grande quadruple shot latte. Kate found herself thinking wistfully of caffeine. This was going to be a long pregnancy without it.

The next person through the door was a harried looking Lanie. Her make-up was smeared, and her hair was falling out of a very messy bun. Kate had known Lanie a while, and she had never seen her less than perfectly presentable.

"Kate!" the barista called out, looking around for her. She stepped up and grabbed her drink before turning to walk over to her friend.

"Hey, Lanie," Kate said, surprised to see Lanie jump at the sound of her voice. "How are you holding up?"

"Girl you scared me," Lanie told her, shaking her head. "I'm alright."

"Have you slept?" Kate asked, in an attempt to get right to the point.

Lanie glared at her. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing! I just wanted to see how you were doing. You seemed a little jumpy, so I figured maybe you were over caffeinated. If you were over caffeinated already, I can only imagine it's because you didn't sleep…" she trailed off apologetically.

Lanie looked at her a minute and then her eyes softened. "Sorry for jumping down your throat, it's been a long night. And you're right, I haven't slept and I'm running on pure caffeine and adrenaline right now."

Kate just nodded, giving her friend a moment to breathe.

"Next!" they called and Lanie stepped forward.

"I'd like a hot chocolate please. Grande," she added as an after thought.

"Whipped cream?" the man asked.

"Please."

Kate pushed Lanie's hand away when she attempted to hand her money over and instead passed her own credit card to the man at the counter.

Lanie narrowed her eyes at Kate who stared back at her. "Thanks," Lanie finally gave in.

"No problem. It's the least I can do."

"I figured I should avoid caffeine for the moment. I feel like I could just fly away with the amount I've had," Lanie joked.

"Probably a good plan," Kate agreed.

The pair leaned back against the wall and waited in silence for Lanie's name to be called.

"Elaine!" the barista called out.

Lanie didn't move, so Kate nudged her. "I think they meant you."

"I hate when they do that," Lanie mumbled. "You tell them one thing and they say something else. I didn't say Elaine. I said Lanie."

Kate let Lanie continue her little rant and followed her over to a table in the corner by the window. They each took a sip of their drinks before Kate decided to speak.

"How are you really, Lanie? And how's Javi today?"

Lanie just looked at her a moment, and Kate was surprised to see her eyes fill with tears. She opened her mouth to speak, and seemed to think better of it before she closed it again.

Kate reached over and grabbed her friend's hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. Lanie was usually so strong. It was hard to see her like this.

It seemed to be the encouragement Lanie needed. "I've never been so scared in my life," she said quietly as she looked down at her hot chocolate. "As crazy as that man makes me, I love him." Silent tears began to run down Lanie's cheeks and Kate's heart twisted. "When Kevin called me, I just – I don't even know how I made it to the hospital. I don't remember how I got there. Is that bad?"

Kate shook her head. She knew exactly what Lanie was feeling. Having absolutely zero control when you didn't know if the man you love would live or die, there was no worse feeling in the world. Kate was quiet as Lanie took a deep, ragged breath to continue.

"I'm just so glad he's okay. He's better this morning though. He finally got a few hours of sleep. I think that helped. It makes you think, you know? About everything. You never know what's going to happen. We may not be perfect, but I love Javi."

Kate smiled at her. "I know you do. He loves you too, very much."

Lanie nodded, and took a deep breath. "I know. We had a good talk in the hospital last night. We want to get married."

"What?!" Kate asked, excitedly.

Lanie gave her a teary grin. "We decided that we don't want to spend any longer apart. I don't want to steal your thunder or anything, girl - "

Kate interrupted quickly. "Are you kidding me? I would never think that! I am so happy for you two! Really, I am!" She stood up to walk around the table in order to properly hug her best friend.

"Thanks," Lanie grinned again. Kate was thrilled for her two friends and happy to see that Lanie was smiling after the events of the last day. "So, will you be my maid of honor?"

"Of course!" Kate exclaimed, beaming at her.

She made her way back to her seat and shook her head. What a crazy 24 hours it had been. The two women spent the next couple of hours chatting about the finishing touches on Kate's wedding, the rehearsal dinner, and attempted to guess where Rick was going to take her on their honeymoon.

"Paris?" Lanie asked thoughtfully.

"I don't think so. After what happened with Alexis last year, I don't think Rick will want to go back there for awhile."

"I guess that makes sense. This is Castle we're talking about…it's probably something you would never expect, like an African safari!"

Kate laughed, and shook her head. "I hope not. I just want to relax, and enjoy the sun somewhere. All I want is my husband, the beach and the sun. We will see how close to that he gets."

"The man does know you pretty darn well, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's exactly what you get," Lanie told her friend.

Kate nodded, thoughtfully. "I guess I'll find out soon!"

They talked a little while longer before Lanie decided she had to get back to the hospital and her fiancé.

"Tell Espo I said congrats and he better treat you right," Kate said as she hugged her friend goodbye.

Lanie winked at her, "he will if he knows what's good for him."

Kate shook her head and watched her friend disappear around the corner. Esposito and Lanie were engaged! She couldn't wait to tell Rick. Kate looked at her dad's watch and saw it was a little after one. The morning had flown by and she was starving. Knowing Rick, he wouldn't have eaten lunch yet. On days when he was engrossed in his writing, he would forget to eat, and sometimes even sleep. Kate decided she would run by Remy's on her way home to get them burgers and strawberry shakes.

She pushed the door open to the loft and looked around to see if her fiancé had ventured out of his office. Kate didn't see him, but heard him typing furiously in his office. She set the bags and drinks down on the kitchen counter and made her way over to his door.

Rick was in the exact same place as when she had left him. He was still in his rumpled pajamas and his hair was falling into his eyes. She stood in the doorway and watched him for a few minutes before she walked over and stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kate felt his body relax into hers as though the tension was leaving him completely.

"Hey," he said, as he turned to face her, his voice sounding like he had just woken up from the lack of use.

"Hi," she came around to sit in his lap and kissed him.

"Missed you," Rick told her, as he squeezed her tightly.

"Yeah, right. You didn't even know I was gone," she teased. "Have you even moved?"

"Nope. I was on a role," he shrugged. "I only have one chapter to go."

"Good job! Looks like Gina won't have to ruin our honeymoon," she said as she elbowed him playfully.

Rick grinned. "How's Lanie holding up?"

"Oh!" Kate exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you."

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Esposito and Lanie are engaged!"

"What? When did this happen?"

"Apparently last night. Lanie said they talked about everything and they don't want to spend any more of their lives apart."

Rick smiled and squeezed her hand. "That sounds familiar."

"It does," Kate leaned into him and rested her head on his. "I'm glad I only have go one more week before I'm Mrs. Castle."

His eyes twinkled. "Me too."

"Are you hungry?" Kate asked after a moment. "I figured you probably hadn't eaten, so I stopped by Remy's to grab us some lunch."

"Are you taking care of me, Mrs. Castle?"

"Somebody has to," she said with a laugh.

"Good to know there's someone who will look out for me," Rick told her as they stood up to go get their food.

"Always," Kate squeezed his hand.

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! xoKristen _


	20. Chapter 20

_Note: I'm so glad to see there are some new readers joining in! Welcome J Thank you to everyone – those who have been with the story since the beginning and those who have just found it for your reviews! You guys are awesome and never fail to make me smile. I never expected this story to receive so much love and really never thought I would make it to 20 chapters…that's huge! And I don't really see an end in sight…Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween!_

**Marlowe decided to share Castle with me for Halloween! No…wait, that was a dream. **

Chapter 20.

"One week to go," Rick said quietly, bringing Kate out of her thoughts. She turned to look at him and was surprised to see him looking at her with concern.

"I know," she told him, reaching out to grab his hand. "I can't believe it."

"Are you getting cold feet?" he blurted out suddenly.

Kate looked at him in complete and utter shock. "Why would you ask that?"

Rick dropped her hand and looked down at his feet. "You've been staring at the clock for ten minutes with that far off look in your eyes. If you don't want this - "

"Hey!" Kate interrupted quickly as she picked up his hang again and brought it to her lips. "Look at me," she ordered, and waited until his eyes met her own before continuing. "Do you want to know why I keep looking at the countdown clock with a far off look in my eyes?"

He nodded.

Kate smiled. "I look at it because it is a reminder of how close I am getting to marrying my best friend. The ruggedly handsome man that I love with all of my heart."

Rick smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head to show she wasn't finished.

"I keep having this dream. It started off when I was asleep a few nights ago, but it has turned into something I think about whenever I have a spare minute. It's not because I'm scared of the future, Rick. It's because I can't wait." She paused a moment and laid her free hand on top of her stomach. "I think about you and me, and our children on the beach in the Hamptons. We're just walking along and joking around. I have never been so happy. That clock just shows me how close we are to that, even though we're already on our way."

Rick was positively beaming now. "So no cold feet at all?"

She rolled her eyes. "No. No cold feet at all. My feet couldn't be warmer."

"I have a similar dream," Rick confessed, covering the hand that was resting on her belly with his own. "Except in mine, we are all running through Central Park in the biggest game of laser tag…we've got our kids, Lanie, Esposito, Ryan, Jenny, everyone. They all have kids, and we are just one big family attracting all of the attention because everyone else just wishes they were us."

Kate giggled. "You would dream about something like that."

"You wound me," Rick joked, picking her up and spinning her in a circle.

When he put her down Kate looked at him and said, "You know, your dream does sound pretty fun…"

"Well yeah! And we already have our vests and guns. We just need to get them for Jenny, Lanie and the kids. That reminds me, I'm going to have to go pick up the gear for Ryan and Esposito before the rehearsal dinner."

She shook her head. "My big kid."

"You love it!"

"You're right, I do."

Rick sat down on the couch and pulled her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and brought his chin down to rest on her shoulder. "Good. Hey, what do you say we go check on Esposito then head out to the Hamptons for a night or two? It'd be nice to get away for a little bit."

"You do realize we are going to be away for two whole weeks, right?" she asked.

It was Rick's turn to roll his eyes. Kate had to stifle a laugh at how much he looked like her. "Yes, but we can see if Alexis wants to come. If she does, great. If she doesn't, great. I'm sure we can manage to entertain ourselves." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"What about packing? And when are we going to sign the papers for the new place?"

"You need to relax. Okay, but don't be mad."

This was never a good sign. "No promises."

"Well, I hired someone to take care of packing for us while we're gone. Alexis is going to be busy with school, and this way it will all be waiting for us in our new home when we get back from our honeymoon." He glanced hesitantly at her, and braced himself for her reaction.

This man. She had been dreading the packing. There was so much left to do and she had been wondering how they were ever going to get it done. And this man had taken care of it for her, just like he took care of everything else. Her gaze softened as she looked up at him. "I'm not mad. In fact, I'm relieved. Thank you."

Rick visibly relaxed. "Don't worry about it. I just thought it would be better for us to spend our time doing other things. And to answer your question, we will go Friday the first to go sign the papers. It will be officially ours before we head to the rehearsal dinner."

"Rick, that's great!" she kissed him slowly.

They lost themselves in each other, in the excitement that everything was coming together. Rick was pulling Kate down on top of him when they heard Alexis clear her throat. They sprung apart like two teenagers who had just been caught making out by their parents.

"Alexis! Hi!" Rick managed, flushing when she smirked at them.

Kate looked up at Alexis and shrugged helplessly.

Alexis laughed. "I'm going to go meet Nate for lunch, but I'll be back later. You two stay out of trouble." She teased, as she grinned from ear to ear.

"Before you go," Rick began as he stood up. "We were thinking about going to the Hamptons tonight. We may stay just the one night or make it two. Do you want to join us?"

Alexis thought a moment. "It's okay. You guys go. I've got a lot of work to do so I can fully enjoy the wedding."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked. "You could always study out there."

"I'm sure. I've got a study date with Nate tomorrow too." This time, it was the redhead's turn to blush.

"Ah ha!" Rick exclaimed triumphantly. "It all makes sense. You'd rather spend time with Nate than your own family." He attempted his infamous puppy dog face, but it didn't work on his daughter.

"Nice try, Dad," she laughed as she grabbed her purse and keys.

"It was worth a shot," he shrugged and turned to Kate. "I guess it's just us."

"You're going to stick me with just your Dad for company?" Kate questioned, looking imploringly at Alexis.

"Hey!" Rick cried, looking back and forth between the two women who burst out laughing.

"Not funny," he pouted.

Alexis came over and kissed him on the cheek. "Bye, Dad. I'll see you in a day or two. Have fun."

As she made her way towards the door Rick called out, "You have fun too. Be safe."

"I will," she said as she shut the door behind her.

"Stuck out there with just me for company," Rick muttered to himself as Kate laughed again.

"Quit your pouting. I was just trying your trick. I figured she might take pity on me…" she trailed off.

"Mhmm," Rick said, but he was grinning at her. "Nicely done. Too bad it didn't work."

"It's alright. Just means I get you all to myself. Why don't you throw some things in a bag for us and I'll go call Lanie to see if they are still at the hospital?"

"Sounds good," he told her as he disappeared into their room.

When Kate finished her phone call she found Rick in the office, typing on his computer. "How's that last chapter coming?"

"Pretty good. I'll probably finish it tonight or tomorrow."

"Good. You ready? Lanie said they're just waiting on some test results before they release Esposito. She's not sure how long they'll be."

"Yup. We're all packed," he gestured to the bag at his feet.

Kate pulled him up and they rode the elevator down to the basement garage where the Ferrari was ready and waiting.

"I figured we'd ride to the Hamptons in style," Rick grinned as he tossed their bag into the trunk.

Kate just grabbed the keys from his hand and walked to the driver's side, laughing as he stood there looking at her. "Are you going to get in or are you just going to stand there all day?"

"I was going to drive!"

"I'll hand the keys over when we leave the hospital, deal?"

"Deal," he said as he climbed in next to her. Rick gripped her thigh as she peeled out of the garage, relishing in the feel of her fiancé's touch and the power of the car as it zipped in and out of traffic on their short ride to Lennox Hill.

"I've gotta hand it to you,' Rick told her as they pulled up to the valet parking at the hospital. "You really know how to work this car."

"As if there was ever any doubt," Kate winked as she handed the keys to the ecstatic valet.

Esposito had been moved out of the ICU and into a private room. Kate suspected Rick had ensured he would have received the best possible room, however, decided not to ask. He always seemed to get uncomfortable when his money was brought up, and she liked to avoid putting him on the spot.

When they knocked on the door, Lanie yelled, "Come in!" and they swung it open to see Lanie lying on the bed next to her fiancé.

Esposito had regained some of his color. He was still pale, but he was smiling. Rick and Kate were relieved to see he looked more like himself this time.

"I hear congratulations are in order you two," Rick said as he made his way forward to hug Lanie and shake his best man's hand.

"Thanks, bro," Esposito beamed. "We'll make it official when I get out of here. Gotta get her a ring."

Lanie shook her head, shooting a glare at him. "This man thinks we are going to leave the hospital and go right to a ring shop. I told him that's not important right now. We can go ring shopping later. He needs to rest."

"And I keep telling her I'm fine. The doctors just need one more test back. I just need to take it easy. I can take it easy in a ring shop, so long as I don't pass out at the prices," he joked.

Rick laughed. "I bet you can handle it."

Lanie turned her glare on him.

"I mean…um…" Rick stammered, shrinking under the M.E.'s look.

"What I'm sure Rick is trying to say," Kate cut in, placing a hand on her friend's arm. "Is that if Javi says he can handle it, he'll be okay. Besides, he's got his own personal doctor. I have a feeling you'll look out for him."

Lanie fixed her gaze on Kate, but it softened quickly. "I guess you're right. If that's what you want to do, I guess that's what we'll do," she told her fiancé.

Esposito grinned. "Thanks guys. Hey Castle, how'd we get so lucky? We've got these two amazing women, who want to kick our asses half the time, but still love us."

"Oh what can I say, the heart wants what the heart wants. We _are_ pretty irresistible," Rick laughed, earning a playful punch from each of the women. "But really, I don't know how we got so lucky."

Kate leaned over and kissed his cheek and Lanie nestled herself against Esposito. "Right back at you writer man," Kate said truthfully. She never really would understand how her life had become everything she never knew she always wanted. Life was definitely full of surprises.

It wasn't long before the doctor came in and said that Esposito was cleared to go home. Rick and Kate helped Lanie collect their belongings while the nurse busied herself unhooking all of Esposito's tubes and IVs. After what seemed like forever to the patient, they were finally able to wheel him out of the hospital.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking out here," he grumbled as Rick wheeled him into the elevator.

"It's hospital policy," Lanie said as she glared at him as though daring him to argue.

One look at her had him deciding against it and he just grumbled to himself.

Kate snuck a glance at Rick over Esposito's head and they shared a quick smile. Lanie and Javi may have gotten engaged, but it was nice to see that some things never changed. It was a relief to see them bickering. They were just glad their friend was alive.

They helped the couple into the taxi and Rick turned to the driver. "Take them to Harry Winston," he turned back to Esposito. "Tell them I sent you. They'll give you a good deal.

"Thanks bro," Esposito said as he grinned at Lanie's shocked expression.

Rick tapped the top of the cab signaling they could leave and turned to see Kate staring at him.

"Harry Winston?" she asked as she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Yeah," he shrugged sheepishly. "I have a guy…"

"Of course you do," she shook her head. Of course Richard Castle had a guy at Harry Winston. It made sense when she thought about it, the man had millions, she had just never thought about where her jewelry came from before. Kate looked down at her left hand as her ring caught the sunlight and sparkled. She smiled at it then up at her fiancé.

The valet brought the Ferrari up and handed the keys to Kate. She took them, and held on a moment to make Rick sweat, then tossed them over. His face lit up like a kid on Christmas and he ran around the car to open the door for her. Always the perfect gentleman. He jogged back around to his side of the car and tipped the valet (generously Kate was sure) and settled in. He shot her a devilish look and they were off. Kate pretended she was terrified, but the truth was, she loved it.

She was off for a couple days with her fiancé. Soon he would be her husband, and that, she thought as they jetted off towards the highway, wind blowing through their hair, grins on their faces, and hands entwined between them, was complete and total perfection.

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and had lots of yummy sweets for your Halloween treats! xoKristen_


	21. Chapter 21

_Note: Thank you all so much for the love! Sorry I didn't get to update yesterday…I had a huge paper to write for school that took me all day, and when I finished my brain was fried! I am so truly grateful for all of your reviews, they mean the world to me! I can't believe there are over 200 now…thanks everyone! I have so many more ideas for this story and I can't wait to share them all with you in time! It's almost Castle Monday! Can't wait! Also thanks __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__ for reading through this for me!_

**I do not own Castle.**

Chapter 21.

Rick pulled up in front of their Hamptons home and stopped the car. Kate had fallen asleep, and he looked over at her. Her windswept hair was partially covering her face, and her mouth was open slightly. In the silence of the evening, it was easy for Rick to hear her light snoring. She was perfect, even in sleep. He hated to wake her, but the slight roll of thunder in the distance told him it was time to head indoors.

He walked around to her side of the car and opened the door. "Kate, babe, we're here," Rick said softly, not wanting to startle her.

When she didn't budge, he bent to place a kiss on her brow, and then followed the trail down to her lips. Kate's eyes fluttered opened and she smiled. "I could get used to waking up like that."

"Lucky for you, you'll be getting this treatment for quite some time," Rick winked as he leaned over her to unbuckle her seatbelt before he scooped her up.

"Rick! Put me down!" Kate squealed.

Rick just cradled her to him, enjoying the fact that he was carrying her bridal style. As he walked up the sidewalk, Kate said, "Isn't this bad luck? We're not married yet!"

He looked down into her eyes, and noted the sparkle of amusement looking back at him. "Why Ms. Beckett, do I detect a belief in superstition?"

Rick stood there, holding her, and Kate stared at him a moment before she answered. "You know I don't' believe in any of that."

At that moment the skies opened up and the rain poured over them. Rick jogged the last few feet to the door, pushed it open and carried Kate inside before placing her gently on the ground.

"Good thing you don't, otherwise we would be in trouble. Besides, I was just practicing," Rick teased as he shook his hair off over in her direction.

Kate squealed and backed away from him. She laughed as he ran up and grabbed her before spinning her in a circle. Sometimes it was nice to indulge Rick in his childish ways. Life with him was never dull.

It didn't take long for Rick to join Kate in her fit of giggles and before they knew it they were slumped against the wall, laughing at everything yet nothing, and still soaked from the rain.

When they finally managed to catch their breath, Kate leaned over and kissed him. It started off slow and sweet, but was quickly replaced with a certain level of urgency. Rick nipped at Kate's neck and she let out a groan.

Her desperate fingers found the hem of his shirt and she pulled it over his head. Kate's nails dug into his back and she felt the familiar warmth spread through her body. Rick helped Kate out of her shirt and his lips found her pulse point. Her body shuddered as he lowered her to the ground.

They didn't know how long they had been lying there entwined with one another; not knowing where one body ended and the other began.

"Kate?"

"Hmm?" she didn't know if she was quite capable of words. He always seemed to have that effect on her, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Do you want to move upstairs?"

For the first time, Kate felt the cold, hard wood floors they were lying on and she thought he had a point. "Mmhmm," she mumbled as she felt him move to stand. Before she could protest, Rick was lifted her up again, and held her tight to his chest. Kate was too relaxed to protest.

Rick brought his nose to her hair and smelled the familiar cherry scent he was so fond of. "You smell good," he told her.

Kate smiled and buried her nose in his chest. Rick let out a small squeak and she looked up questioningly.

"Your nose is cold," he replied as she brought her hand up to check for herself. He was right, it was freezing.

Rick made his way into their bedroom and deposited Kate on the bed where she immediately snuggled under the covers.

"Should I make a fire?" Rick asked as he watched her burrow deeper into the warmth.

"Sounds great," Kate responded from the bed.

Rick busied himself with the fireplace in their room, and carefully arranged the logs before turning in search of a lighter.

"It's in the top drawer," Kate said as she watched him look around.

He just looked at her a moment before his face broke out in a grin. "Thanks." With Kate's direction, he found the lighter with ease and within moments had a nice fire crackling and lighting the room.

Rick crossed the room to join her and Kate lifted the duvet to welcome him into the space next to her. He held out his arm and she burrowed into his side, resting her arm across his chest.

"I love you," Kate told her fiancé quietly.

"I love you too."

They were quiet a few minutes, each just enjoying the fact that they were wrapped up together.

"I wish my mom could be here to see us get married," Kate admitted quietly.

Rick knew from the way she would play with her necklace lately that she missed her mom more than usual, but she hadn't told him anything and he had decided she would when she was ready. This was how Kate operated - sometimes she just needed time.

"She'd love you, Rick. She'd love how happy you make me. She would be so excited to be a grandmother." Tears were silently running down her cheeks onto Rick's arm.

"She would be proud of you, Kate," Rick told her as he pulled her closer to him and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Kate looked into his eyes, "You think?"

"Oh, I know. Look at you. You've made this wonderful life for yourself. You're already a great Mom to Alexis, and you are going to be a wonderful wife, and mother to our children. You are happy. I know that alone would make her happy."

She nodded in acceptance, and Rick took her silence as an invitation to continue.

"She'll be watching, Kate. She'll be with us on our wedding day, I know it."

Kate turned her tear-stained face to his and kissed him. "Thank you. I think I believed it before, but I needed to hear it from you."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "That's what I'm here for."

She leaned her head over to rest on Rick's chest and relaxed as his breathing evened out. Kate hastened a glance up at him to see if he had fallen asleep, but he was lost in thought with a slight frown on his face.

"You okay?" she asked, arching her brows in question.

"Just thinking," he said quietly.

"Care to share with the class?" Kate teased, but was surprised to see he didn't laugh or even crack a smile.

Rick was silent a moment. "It's not important."

"Rick, hey, you can tell me anything."

"I know, I just feel like I shouldn't be upset…" he trailed off and Kate gave him the moment he needed to continue. "I wish my dad could be there too," he confessed.

"Rick, I - "

He interrupted her. "I know I don't really have a reason to be upset. At least I know he's out there somewhere…"

"Look at me," she implored and watched as his gaze rose to meet her own. "You're allowed to wish your father could be at our wedding, Rick. You don't need to feel guilty that your dad is alive and my mom is dead. I know you hurt too. You're allowed to hurt. I'm glad you're talking to me about this."

Rick squeezed her hand appreciatively. "I've never really felt like I could talk to anyone about it, until you." He paused again, as though collecting the thoughts he's been saving for years. "I always wondered who he was. I used to make up stories to tell the other kids in school when they asked.

He was a space cowboy. He was a doctor, a cop. I think at one point he was an astronaut. It was fun to pretend. As I got older, I thought mother would tell me more, but she didn't. I guess I kind of got used to it. She did the single parent thing, I did the single parent thing, and I never really thought I would find someone to complete me." Rick looked down into Kate's eyes. "But then you came along and my life was turned upside down. I had hope, a hope that I had never really believed in before."

Kate felt tears leak out of the corners of her eyes. She knew without him having to tell her that he had never told anyone how he felt growing up without a father. Meredith had alluded to it when they had talked, and with the exception of Paris, Rick had never really brought his father up.

"I'm glad you can tell me, Rick. You gave me the hope that I had lost faith in too. Before you, I thought that love was a myth, a fairytale told to children, like Santa Clause. I never knew the power it could have."

"It's real," Rick said simply.

She nodded. "I know it is. Thanks to you. I'm glad we are going to go through parenting together. I'm glad it's going to be you by my side."

"Me too, Kate. Me too." He fell silent again.

"Your dad is proud of you too. He may not be able to be there for you, but you saw in Paris, he has always kept track of you. I would be surprised if he didn't know we were engaged. Who knows? Maybe he'll make an appearance," Kate finished hopefully.

Rick raised his eyebrows at her. "I doubt it. But thanks for trying," he smiled down at her. "Thanks for not pushing. You're the first person who's given me the space I needed."

"Anytime. I'm always here for you, no matter what. You were there for me before I even thought I needed someone. I'm grateful every day that you pushed your way into my life."

Rick grinned. "I did push my way in, didn't I?"

Kate laughed. "You sure did. I'm lucky you were attracted to me right from the beginning."

"Oh you know _you_ were the one who was into me!"

"Are we having this argument again?" Kate asked, relieved to see Rick's spirits lifted.

"There's no argument," Rick informed her as her stomach growled loudly. "Ahh saved by the growl!"

Kate shook her head. "I guess Peanut's hungry."

"Sure, blame me, then blame Peanut," Rick teased. "What can I make you?"

She thought for a moment and her face broke into a mischievous grin. "Do we have the ingredients for a smorelette?"

"Do you think I would ever deny you the delicacy that is a smorelette?" Rick asked. "I had the kitchen stocked with all of the essentials including the ingredients necessary to make my beautiful fiancé's craving of choice."

"You're the best, you know that?" Kate knew she was inflating his ego, and she was okay with that, sometimes he deserved it.

Rick smiled at her and planted a kiss on her cheek before he rolled over and out of the bed. "Late night snack in bed? Or do you want to venture down to the kitchen with me?"

She thought a moment. "I think I'll join you." He walked around to her side of the bed and pulled her up.

As Rick led her down to the kitchen to feed her craving, Kate couldn't help but think about their future together. Being in the Hamptons was part of her recurring dream. This was where she pictured them walking down the beach with their two children. This was where they would take family vacations and escape from reality for the weekend. In just a few days this would be as much a part of her as it was a part of him. When Rick led her into the kitchen with his hand on the small of her back she realized that it wasn't something for the future, it was already a part of her. Rick had made sure of that.

He got out the ingredients and began whipping the eggs together when he saw Kate looking over at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she smiled. "I'm just really happy."

He returned her smile. "It's the smorelette, isn't it? I knew it had that effect on you."

"That's exactly it," Kate teased as she popped a marshmallow into her mouth. "I keep you around for the smorelettes."

"I've said it once, I'll say it again, the heart wants what the heart wants," Rick joked back.

"Lucky for me you keep me supplied with them. I guess that's why I keep you around," she winked.

'Oh you wound me," Rick said as he held a hand over his heart and flipped his concoction onto a plate.

Kate leaned across the counter and Rick's lips meant hers in a quick kiss. "The kisses are good too."

Rick grinned devilishly. "That's not all that's good," he said as he raced around the counter to scoop her up.

Just like that Kate knew her smorelette would have to wait.

_Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	22. Chapter 22

_Note: Thank you everyone for your continued support and reviews! It really means the world to me. And to my cross country BFF, __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__, Happy Birthday! You're my writing partner, somehow still manage to be my partner in crime all the way in Cali, and I'm so glad we have gotten so close! _

_Castle tomorrow everyone!_

**I don't own Castle. **

Chapter 22.

Kate rolled over and reached for her fiancé only to find his side of the bed empty and cold. She looked up and noticed her countdown clock on his pillow. _Wedding Countdown: 6 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Under the clock was a note that read _Less than one week! You've already made me the happiest man in the world and I can't wait to start our married life together. Love you! _

She shook her head and smiled. That man really and truly was the best. He never missed a beat. Kate didn't even know he had packed the clock for her. She looked around for his robe and found it hanging on the doorknob to the bathroom. Kate slipped it on and took a deep breath enjoying the moment his scent wrapped around her.

Rick's voice was coming from his office down the hall, so Kate padded down towards it, and paused when she realized how angry he sounded. She didn't know if it was a conversation she should hear, but curiosity got the better of her and she stopped just outside of the slightly open door.

"Gina, I don't want to hear it," Rick said angrily. It was rare for Kate to witness this side of him. He seemed to pause, as he listened to the voice on the other line.

"Do you think I care? Do you think you mean anything to me?"

Kate was confused. What was happening?

"Gina. Things with us have been over for a long time. You have known that Kate and I are getting married. That hasn't changed, nor will it ever change."

Kate's heart clenched. What was Gina's deal? She hated hearing Rick so angry.

Rick had paused again, and she could hear his ragged breathing, as though trying to compose himself.

"Stop. Just stop. You're making a fool of yourself. What you and I had wasn't love. I didn't know what love was until I met Kate," he shouted.

_Ouch_. Kate thought to herself, but she smiled. She hadn't known what true love was either before Rick.

"So this is your idea of payback then?" Rick demanded. "You try to plan signings for me during my honeymoon?"

_Seriously?_ Kate had to stop herself from bursting in there. _Who did this woman think she was?_

"Well I'm not doing it. I don't care what you say!"

He was quiet again and Kate heard a glass shatter. She jumped and peeked through the door to see Rick looking at a bloody hand. He must have squeezed his glass too hard in all of his anger.

Kate couldn't handle standing outside of the office anymore. She rushed in and over to her fiancé, and was surprised when he held up a finger to stop her. She looked at him in question and he shook his head. Kate noticed he was shaking.

"Threats don't work on me Gina," he said as his breathing evened out. "You're making this a hell of a lot easier."

Kate perched herself on the edge of his desk and watched as Rick paced back and forth across the room. It was killing her to sit there, unable to take him into her arms.

"Gina just stop. It's never going to happen. How many times do I have to tell you? You think that because you've stuck in a work capacity you'll worm your way back into my personal life?" He let out a loud, and unsettling laugh. "Not. Going. To. Happen. How can I make that clear to you?"

Kate looked at her feet, and then chanced a look up at Rick. A calm seemed to come over him.

"You're fired." With that simple statement he hung up the phone.

Kate stood up and in two strides crossed the room to envelope him in a hug.

Rick brought his forehead down to hers and took a deep breath. It was then that Kate noticed his hand was still bleeding.

"Hey," she said as she grabbed some tissues off of his desk. "Let me see that."

Rick handed her his palm numbly as though he didn't realize what he was doing.

Kate took a few minutes to stop the bleeding. Once she had stemmed the flow she led him out of the office and to the half bathroom down the hall. She washed the wound out and examined it closely.

"Babe, you actually might need stitches," she said quietly and looked up into his face.

He still hadn't spoken. He was staring at his hand with a far off look in his eye.

"Rick?" Kate asked. "Did you hear me?"

When he spoke, it was low and controlled. "How much of that did you hear?" He looked into her eyes, searching as though he expected to find pain.

"Enough," she told him honestly.

"I'm sorry," Rick whispered.

Kate's head jerked up to stare into his deep blue eyes. "Why are you sorry?" she asked, completely confused.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that. I'm sorry my ex-wife is such a lunatic."

"You don't have any control over her, Rick. You defended me, you defended us. I can't fault you for that. In fact I think you handled that better than I would have had I been in your shoes."

He was quiet again.

"Do you want to tell me what she was so mad about?"

Rick looked at her a moment as though considering how much to share. "You. Well, you and me."

"Why now? She's known for quite some time that we are together."

"I guess because the wedding is coming up, so that finalizes everything in her mind." Rick paused, then laughed. "She actually tried to get me to cancel our honeymoon so I could do book signings. Can you believe her?"

Kate smirked. "I can actually. Rick, she's your ex-wife. This can't be easy for her."

"Are you defending her?" he asked incredulously.

"No, no I'm not," Kate said quickly. " I think it's a desperate attempt to try to ruin something for us. But you didn't let her."

"Of course I didn't let her. I don't even know how she thought I would…" he trailed off.

Kate squeezed his good hand. "She doesn't understand love," it was her turn to pause. "For the record, Rick, I didn't understand love before you either."

He looked up at her. "You heard that?"

She nodded. "It was really sweet."

"It was the truth. She actually thought that if she stuck around long enough in a professional capacity I would go back to her. Can you believe that? She thought I would leave you for her!" he spat the last part out with disgust.

Kate's thumb traced circles onto the back of Rick's good hand. "I guess to her that would make sense. She's a beautiful socialite, I'm a disgraced cop, and you're you. You're this ruggedly handsome, kind, famous author. She can't see what you see in me," she said in a way that made him realize she didn't see it either.

It was Rick's turn to sooth. He went to use his injured hand and winced in pain before switching to his other side. He lifted Kate's chin so she was looking at him straight on.

"First of all, you are not a disgraced cop. You acted in a way that held true to who you are. You saved a woman's life. Do you realize how amazing that is?" When she didn't answer he continued. "I am so incredibly proud of you for that."

Kate mumbled her thanks.

"Second. You are incredibly beautiful, loving, kind, a wonderful mother, friend, and have the best heart of anyone I know. I am the lucky one in this relationship, not the other way around."

Kate smiled at him. "Can we just say we're tied?"

Rick contemplated a moment. "I suppose," he grinned and pulled her in for a kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, Kate spoke again. "You fired her?"

He nodded. "I fired her."

"What about your work? Are you really going to be in trouble for not going to those signings?" she asked worriedly.

"My work will be fine. Gina may be one of the best in the business, but she's not irreplaceable. There are plenty of people out there who would kill for her job. And as for the signings, no. They weren't in my contract. That was just Gina attempting a last ditch effort to exercise some control over my career and of course, personal life."

"Kinda backfired on her, huh?" Kate laughed.

"I guess it did," Rick winced as his hand throbbed. He attempted to hide his face so Kate didn't notice, but she was too quick for him.

"Feeling it now?"

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I was stupid. I just got so mad, and I couldn't control myself. I've never done anything like that before."

"I understand," Kate admitted. "Trust me, I do. I think Gina's lucky we're all the way in the Hamptons, otherwise she would have had both of us marching over to show her what's what."

Rick kissed her. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too. What do you think? Should we go take you to Urgent Care so they can stitch you up?" She picked up his hand to examine it again. "It does look pretty deep."

"Do I have to?" Rick whined. "I hate going to the doctor."

"My big baby," Kate laughed. "Yes, I think you do need to go get it stitched up. If you're good, I'll get you a treat," she bribed him.

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

"Okay, I guess," he sighed. "Better be good."

"Oh it will be," Kate winked.

They got ready quickly, and each made sure to touch the other whenever possible. It was a quick graze as they passed in the bathroom, or a quick peck as they walked down the hallway. It may have been a rough start to their morning, but they weren't going to let it stop them from having a good day (well, with the exception of their trip to Urgent Care).

When they left the house, Rick walked up to the driver's side of the Ferrari, but Kate squeezed in front of him.

"I'm not sure that hand of yours can handle this car right now," she teased.

He jutted out his lip pitifully, but made his way to the passenger side.

"If you're a good boy for the doctor, I'll let you drive later."

"I'll be good," he promised.

"Mhmm. I'll be the judge of that!"

Three hours later they finally walked out of Urgent Care. No matter where you went or what you went in for, the doctor always seemed to be running behind or there would be a long line of people. By the time Rick had actually seen the doctor, he had been pretty crabby. His hand had been pulsing and as much as he tried to act like he wasn't scared, he hated needles.

Kate had held his hand and drawn his focus to her so he wouldn't look at his hand as it was stitched back together. She knew he was putting on a brave face for her, so when his eyes scrunched together on the first stitch, she pressed a kiss to his brow and told him to think about something that made him smile.

"So what did you think about during the stitches?" Kate asked as they walked to the car. Rick didn't even try to drive this time, his hand was too sore.

"The dream you told me about," he said simply. "Us together on the beach with our children."

Kate grinned. "Did it help?"

"It did," he answered honestly as he looked down at the bulky bandage on his hand. "I'm taking this off for the wedding," he said stubbornly.

"Okay. That's fine. You just need to keep it wrapped until then. Deal?"

"Deal."

"So what do you want as your treat?"

"Dessert?" he said as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ice cream it is," Kate grinned, knowing that wasn't what he had in mind.

She pulled up outside of the grocery store and left him in the car as she ran in to get all of Rick's favorite sundae fixings. Kate definitely knew how to cheer her man up and it wasn't going to stop with ice cream.

When she came back out, she laughed at Rick sitting in the car singing, "Pa-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-Pa-na-na-na-na-na," as he pounded on the dashboard in front of him. Some things would never change.

They pulled up to the house and Rick helped Kate with the bags.

"Did you get enough ingredients?" he teased.

"Well, I wanted to make sure you had enough choices. I know how you love to pile the toppings on."

"You're the best," Rick grinned like a five year old on Christmas.

He watched as Kate set the ingredients down on the counter top and pulled out the ice cream scoop.

Rick scooped ice cream into two bowls and they both set to work piling the toppings on. Rick smiled in triumph when he finished his masterpiece – vanilla ice cream with a layer of whipped cream, topped with sprinkles, cookie dough pieces, Reeses Pieces, pecans, Oreos, caramel sauce, another layer of whipped cream, maraschino cherries, Butterfinger, and more sprinkles.

"Are you sure you don't want more on there?" Kate asked as she put the finishing touches on her own creation.

Rick turned his head to the side and thought a moment. With a flourish he topped his sundae off with yet another layer of whipped cream before he turned the can on Kate and sprayed her in the face.

She screamed and jumped away but not before she grabbed the chocolate sauce.

"You wouldn't dare," Rick told her, with what he hoped was a menacing look (it really wasn't).

"Oh, I think I would," Kate countered as she squeezed the bottle in his direction and caught him square in the face.

It wasn't long before this turned into a full on ice cream sundae food fight. Both Rick and Kate flung ingredients left and right and were soon covered from head to toe in toppings.

They collapsed to the floor in a fit of giggles and Rick reached up to grab their bowls so they could eat their sundaes before they completely melted.

"Sometimes I think you're 5!" Kate managed to get out between bites of ice cream and giggles.

"I wasn't the only one in that food fight," Rick laughed.

Kate leaned over and licked chocolate off of his nose. "True. And you know what? I had fun."

"Good. Even though we look gross?" Rick said as he licked the whipped cream off of her cheek.

"Even though we look gross," she laughed. Kate was quiet a moment before she spoke again. "Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Promise me we will always do fun, crazy, immature things like this," she said as she looked into his smiling face.

"Always."

_Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	23. Chapter 23

_Note: I'm so glad you all loved the Gina and ice cream scenes! I definitely had fun writing the last chapter. Thank you all so much for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it! Castle tonight, YAY!_

**I keep hoping Marlowe will decide to share Castle, but…nope. **

Chapter 23.

"Rick? Are you almost ready?" Kate called as she made her way into the kitchen. She looked at her watch. They had fifteen minutes until they were due to meet Lanie, Esposito, Ryan and Jenny at Remy's for dinner.

"Almost!" he answered from the bathroom. Kate still found it funny that her fiancé took almost as much time to get ready as she did. He was ruggedly handsome though, so his routine seemed to work.

Kate's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Were the guys meeting us here?" she asked.

"Don't think so."

She shrugged to herself and walked quickly to the door, and was completely caught off guard to see Gina standing before her.

Kate was so thrown off that she didn't even say anything when Gina pushed past her into the loft.

Rick walked into the living room as he pulled on his jacket and said, "Was it the guys?" He stopped in his tracks when he saw Gina.

"Richard we need to talk."

Kate shivered at the look Rick gave her. If looks could kill, well, she'd have to report a homicide.

"Get out of my house, Gina," Rick growled.

Kate crossed the room quickly and placed her arm around her fiancés waist in order to present a united front. She immediately felt his body relax, but the look remained in his eye.

"I need to talk to you. Alone."

Rick opened his mouth to speak, but Kate cut him off. "I believe Rick made himself clear, Gina. You are not welcome in our home. You need to leave. Now."

Gina scoffed. "_Your_ home. For now. This doesn't concern you. Besides. When you get tired of him, I'll be the one who will be there to pick up the pieces."

It was Kate's turn to deal with this woman. She grabbed onto Rick's jacket as he stepped forward, signaling that she could handle herself.

"This doesn't concern me? I fail to see how it doesn't. Did you not try to interfere with my honeymoon? Are you not implying that you will end up with my fiancé?"

Gina glared at her, but was silent.

"Exactly. This has everything to do with me. Rick is the love of my life. I will always be there. _Always_. I'm not going anywhere. And as for this being my home for now, well, you're actually right. We are moving. You will not be given our new address. I will make sure of that. Now, I believe Rick has already made it clear that you are fired. Now why don't you do us all a favor and leave before you embarrass yourself anymore."

Gina looked back and forth between Rick and Kate.

Kate took a few steps closer, and closed the space between them. She was taller than Gina and was able to glare down at her. She gave her the best detective face she could muster and Gina visibly shrank back.

"Leave. Now," Kate hissed.

With one final glance at Rick, Gina backed up and said, "Richard Castle, you need me. I'm the reason Nikki Heat has been a success."

Rick laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No. Kate is the reason Nikki Heat is a success. She is and will always be my muse, my inspiration for writing and my reason for living. You were never my muse, even when we were married. And I can without a doubt find an agent who will be able to continue your work. Goodbye Gina. Do not bother us again."

Gina huffed, turned on her heel and fled.

Rick quickly crossed back over to Kate and enveloped her in a long hug.

"I'm sorry," he breathed into the top of her head.

"Babe, we've been over this before. You have nothing to apologize for. You didn't call Gina and ask her to come over here. I'm just glad I was able to get my own shots in there too."

"You're remarkable, you know that?" Rick asked as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"I must be if I'm the one and only muse for such a wonderful author," she teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"You think I'm a wonderful author?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "I won't need to deal with Meredith now too, will I?" she asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

"No, I already told her about our wedding. She's on location in Germany for some low-budget Indy film right now. I don't think she will be a problem."

"Good," she sighed as she pressed her nose to his chest, taking in his scent. "I can only deal with one crazy ex-wife at a time."

"Me too," Rick agreed. "I'm still sorry you had to deal with Gina. But I have to say, you were so sexy the way you took control of the situation."

Kate tipped her head up to look at him as she winked. "Sexy, huh? Just wait to see what I have in store for you later."

Rick groaned as she pulled away from him. "Do we have to go?"

She laughed. "Yes. Give me a minute, I need to go grab my purse."

Rick moved over to sit on one of the kitchen stools and Kate made her way into their bedroom. Once inside she took a deep breath to steady herself from the interaction with Gina. She knew it wasn't Rick's fault, but she really hated that woman. She hated that someone thought she would be the one to get tired of Rick. It wasn't possible.

Kate glanced over at the clock on her bedside table and saw, _Wedding Countdown: 5 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _Gina didn't know her and she didn't know the two of them together. They were soul mates, and nothing anyone, least of all Gina, could say would ever change that. She was marrying Rick in five days. As Rick said, they had already started the beginning of the rest of their lives, but to do so as a married couple was a new and exciting journey. She couldn't wait.

Rick's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Did you get lost in there?"

"Coming!" she called as she found her purse on the floor. With one final look at the clock she turned and joined Rick in the kitchen.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready."

Rick grabbed her hand and squeezed. As they made their way to the elevator he looked over at her and she smiled.

"Are you okay?" Rick looked through the smile and into the pain in her eyes.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"Kate…"

"You know I'm not going anywhere, right?" she asked, as she looked into his eyes so he could see how serious she was.

"I know that. What makes you say that? Don't let Gina get into your head. She doesn't know what she's talking about. She doesn't know you or me or us. She's just jealous."

Kate nodded. "I know that. I really do. I just want to make sure you know I'm in this forever. I don't ever want to be away from you."

Rick grinned before he captured her mouth in a long, slow kiss. "I don't ever want to be away from you either."

"Good," Kate laughed. "Because after Saturday, you're kinda stuck with me."

"Kate, I've been stuck on you since we first met. That's not going to be a problem. In fact, I'm looking forward to it."

She blushed. He could be corny, but she loved it. She loved him.

By the time they made it to Remy's they were twenty minutes late. Ryan, Jenny, Lanie, and Esposito had a table in the back and were all deep in conversation. They looked up as Rick and Kate approached the table.

"What kept you guys?" Lanie asked with a wink.

The rest of them laughed and waited to hear the story.

"Nothing fun," Rick answered as he pulled Kate's seat out for her.

"Gina," Kate said as she frowned at them.

"Gina? Girl what does that woman have to do with anything?"

"And bro, what happened to your hand?" Esposito asked as he looked down at Rick's bandaged hand.

"It's a long story," Rick sighed as Kate leaned on his shoulder.

"We got time," Ryan told them as Jenny nodded.

"When we were in the Hamptons, Gina called me and said that she had scheduled some new signings," Rick began as everyone nodded in understanding. "The problem was the signings were while Kate and I are on our honeymoon."

Two angry couples shouted, "What?" in various levels of disgust.

"I hope you set her straight," Lanie gave Rick one of her looks.

"Oh, he did," Kate cut in. "He definitely let her have it. And he fired her."

"Good job, man," Ryan chipped in.

"So where does the hand injury come in?" Jenny asked as she looked at the thick bandage.

Rick shrugged. "I got so mad I broke the glass I was holding. Got a nice deep cut."

"Damn, bro," Esposito shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day where Richard Castle would get angry enough to break glass," he laughed.

Ryan elbowed him. "Me either!"

"You guys should have heard her," Rick said. "She was awful. It had my blood boiling."

"And he handled her really well," Kate added. "I was proud of him." She pecked a kiss on his cheek.

"Okay, so that explains the hand. But how does that lead to you being late to meet us?" Lanie demanded.

"Well, someone knocked on the door when we were about to leave, and I thought maybe I had gotten mixed up and you guys were meeting us at the loft," Kate started.

"Nope, not us," Ryan laughed. "Gina?"

"Gina," she nodded. "She all but burst through the door and demanded to talk to Rick. He tried to tell her to leave, but she wasn't having it."

Rick took over the story at this point, which made their friends smile. It was like being back in the precinct with the two of them finishing each other's sentences and stories. "Then before I know it, Kate is telling her off. She told her she wasn't going anywhere and we were getting married and that's all there is to it. She was remarkable. I was so proud."

"Damn," Esposito said.

"Yeah, I know I wouldn't have wanted to be on Beckett's bad side," Ryan added and Kate laughed.

"Let's just say I don't think Gina will be a problem for us anymore," she grinned.

"Girl I am so glad to hear that," Lanie told her as she grabbed her friend's hand to give it a squeeze.

"Lanie!" Kate exclaimed. "You nearly blinded me with that rock!"

Lanie blushed and looked down at her sparkling diamond. She held it up for everyone to admire. "Did my man do good, or what?"

Esposito looked over at Rick. "Thanks, bro. Your guy was awesome."

Rick reached over and grabbed Lanie's hand to examine the ring himself. "They do good work! It's beautiful Lanie. Esposito is a lucky man."

Lanie's cheeks pinked and Esposito puffed out his chest. "Damn right I am," he grinned as he planted a loud kiss on his fiancé's lips.

"Speaking of lucky. How are you feeling?" Kate asked him. She looked him over. His color was back and he didn't seem to be in any pain.

"Pretty good, Chica. A little more physical therapy, and I'll be better than new."

"Good, can't have one of my best men down for the count," Rick teased.

"He would have been stuck with me," Ryan joked. "You guys know I need my partner to handle anything."

Rick shuddered comically. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to see you take that on alone."

Ryan punched him in the shoulder.

"What?" Rick demanded. "It's true! You guys are nothing without your budding bromance."

The girls all laughed. "It's true Kevin," Jenny told him. "I used to wonder how I would be able to compete with your partner."

"I used to wonder that too!" Lanie added. "These two and their bromance, I swear. They're such girls sometimes."

"Hey!" Ryan and Esposito shouted together, which earned more laughter from their friends.

"Point taken," Ryan mumbled.

"It's okay. I'm not afraid to admit it. I love you, bro!" Esposito exclaimed as he planted a sloppy kiss on his partner's cheek.

"Gross, dude," Ryan said as made a show of wiping his face off. "But I love you too, man," he added at his partner's pout.

"Guys, I'm feeling left out over here," Rick chimed in. Esposito and Ryan looked at each other then both stood up to sandwich Rick in a hug.

"Men," Kate rolled her eyes at Lanie and Jenny who shook their heads at the crazy guys.

The group broke into laughter, which continued as they ate their burgers. There was something comfortable yet freeing about spending the evening with best friends. They shared stories and each told when they first figured out Rick and Kate were crazy about each other. Of course the stubborn pair tried to convince them otherwise, while secretly aware their friends were right. The tension of the last few days evaporated from all of them. They were able to forget that Esposito had been shot and that Rick and Kate had fought with Gina. They could forget their fears and their troubles of the past and focus on the present and the future. Their family was safe, whole, full of love, and unbeknownst to four of them, it was growing.

_Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	24. Chapter 24

_Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. Your support truly means the world to me and makes me smile each and every day. We are almost to the wedding! It's getting close now! _

_Promotion time: __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__ and I have joined forces and created a joint account. We took 47 Seconds into our own hands in a story called __**Wanted**__. Look for our story under the name __**alwaysxxknockdownxx**__ and please read and review it. We are really excited about it!_

**Unfortunately I still don't own Castle. **

Chapter 24.

Kate looked down and smiled. _Wedding Countdown: 4 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _The time was flying by. She was almost Mrs. Rick Castle and she was pregnant with his baby. Sometimes life rewarded you with things you never imagined.

Because Kate was alone she took a moment to squeal and jump around in a circle.

Rick cleared his throat and Kate froze. She slowly turned around to face the door to their room and looked at him guiltily. He was standing there, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"Happy about something are we?"

Kate's face flushed and she said, "Maybe."

Rick crossed the room quickly and pulled her into a hug. "I'm happy too," he murmured into her hair. He pulled away from her, grabbed her hands and proceeded to lead them in another circle jump, while yelling, "Yay! Yay! Yay!"

Kate erupted into a fit of giggles at how ridiculous they must look. It wasn't long before Rick joined her and they were falling to the ground as they tried to catch their breath.

"We're kinda ridiculous, you know that?" Kate asked between giggles.

"Don't care. Not even a little bit," Rick managed to get out.

"Me either. I can't wait to be Mrs. Man Child in 4 days!"

"You wound me, Mrs. Man Child," Rick said in mock horror.

"I think you'll live." Kate rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

"I don't know about that."

"Hmm," Kate crawled into his lap, and began to pepper kisses along his neck. "Does this help?"

"Maybe," Rick sighed.

"What about this?" Kate asked as she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a long, slow kiss.

"That might have done it," Rick told her when she finally released him.

She laughed at the goofy grin on his face. "You're too easy."

"I'm not even sorry," he shrugged and pressed a kiss to her brow.

Kate shook her head and rested it on his shoulder. As much fun as it was to jump around and act like children, it was just as nice to sit on the floor and cuddle with her fiancé.

Rick's arms tightened around her middle and his hands came to rest on her belly. "Hi Peanut," he whispered.

Kate couldn't help but grin as she placed her hands over his. "I love when you talk to Peanut."

Rick just grinned and stood up. He turned around and pulled Kate up with him. "I think we better feed you and Peanut," he said when he heard her stomach growl.

"I think that might be a good plan."

"What do you feel like?"

Kate thought for a minute. "Chinese?"

"You got it, babe." Rick pulled out his phone and placed their usual order as they made their way into the living room to wait.

Kate sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, while Rick sat next to her and opened the newspaper. She nestled into his side and breathed him in and jumped when he burst out laughing.

She arched her eyebrows in question and it took a moment before he was able to compose himself.

"Did you read this?" he asked.

"No…"

"There's a guy in Queens who is convinced he's pregnant with a dinosaur! How awesome is that?" he asked with glee.

Kate rolled her eyes and wiggled her way back into his side. "You would think that's awesome."

"Oh, come on. You've got to admit that's one of the better stories lately." Rick leaned over and looked at her face, which was hiding a smile. "I knew it, you're intrigued!"

"No I'm not! I just find it funny how interesting _you_ find those stories," she teased.

"Mhmm. You just keep telling yourself that," he paused, and read further into the paper. "What do you think of glow in the dark ice cream?"

Kate pushed herself up and looked at him with disgust. "Rick, that's gross."

"Are you kidding me? It's genius! Pure genius!"

"Seriously?" Kate arched her eyebrows in disbelief. Of course Rick would love the idea of glow in the dark ice cream.

"Imagine this," Rick began excitedly. "We're playing laser tag in the dark. We get hungry, and 'BAM' said the lady, glow in the dark ice cream! It's brilliant."

"You realize that would draw attention to your location," Kate rationalized.

"Which would make it harder to hide. Therefore, more challenging to win," Rick said stubbornly.

"Okay, you win. Glow in the dark ice cream is a genius idea," Kate rolled her eyes as she said it, yet Rick's face lit up. "Just don't expect me to ever try it."

The doorbell rang and Kate muttered, "Saved by the bell," as Rick grabbed his wallet and went to get their food.

"I heard that!" Rick called over his shoulder. "This isn't over."

Kate shook her head at her fiancé and got up to grab plates and drinks. She went on tip toes to grab glasses off of the top shelf and when she turned back around Rick was leaning against the counter, bag in hand, watching her, much like he had earlier when she was jumping around squealing.

"What?" she asked as she crossed to grab the bag from him.

"My fiancé is just pretty damn amazing," he grinned.

"Mine's not so bad either," Kate agreed with a smirk. "Even though he is amused by glow in the dark ice cream and men that think they're pregnant with dinosaurs."

"I'm going to choose to ignore your snarkiness and feed you."

"Ah true love," she winked at him.

Rick scooped healthy portions onto plates for both of them and Kate just looked at him.

This time it was his turn to ask, "What?"

"Peanut is really hungry," she grinned as she reached across him to spoon more of each dish onto her plate.

Rick chuckled and placed their drinks and plates on a tray before he followed Kate into the living room.

"Don't you need to go pick up your tux today?" Kate asked as she sat down and brought her plate into her lap.

"Yeah, I do. I figured I'd go after lunch. Is everything set with your dress?"

Kate nodded with a mouthful of Kung Pao chicken.

"Just me then! Will you need anything while I'm out?"

"Don't think so. Unless you can think of anything I need for our honeymoon…" Kate tried to look innocent.

"Nice try! You're already packed!"

"What? Already? When did you do that?" Kate asked, surprised.

"Last night when you were asleep," Rick answered with a shrug. "And don't even bother looking for the bags when I'm gone. I'm going to take them over to Esposito's when I go pick up my tux."

Kate pouted. "I wasn't going to look for them."

"Of course you weren't," Rick teased her as he squeezed her knee, which made her jump.

Kate flipped through the channels until she found a Friends marathon. The couple sat together, finished their food, and laughed through two episodes before Kate fell asleep. Rick decided it was a good time for him to go pick up his tuxedo. He grabbed a blanket to cover Kate so she would be comfortable in his absence. Rick placed a quick kiss on her forehead, before he took their empty dishes and glasses to the kitchen. He scrawled a quick note in case she woke up before his return and quietly shut the door behind him.

Rick walked through the door of the shop and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. Pi was leaning against the back counter talking to the extremely frustrated looking shop owner, Paul. When the Pauls's eyes flicked to the door, Pi stopped talking and looked over.

"Hey, Mr. C!" Pi grinned as he walked over.

"Pi…" Rick began, his voice filled with disgust.

"I was just picking up my tux for the wedding."

"Excuse me? What do you mean for the wedding?"

"Oh Mr. C," Pi laughed and smacked Rick on the back. "You're a funny guy. Al always said you were. My tux, for your wedding. We came for the fitting together, remember?"

Rick took a calming breath. "Pi you are no longer invited to the wedding."

Pi's face fell. "What do you mean, Mr. C? Al invited me."

"Back when you were together. You're not together, therefore, you're not invited." Rick couldn't believe this guy. _Damn fruitarian_, he thought. _Can't even take a hint. _

"Oh, Al will cool off," he grinned. "We're just taking some time."

"_Alexis_," he enunciated her name "has cooled off. She doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. You _will_ stay away from my daughter. Do I make myself clear?"

Pi opened his mouth to speak, but Rick interrupted. "The next words out of your mouth had better be, 'yes, Mr. C, I do understand'. Because if I find out that you have bothered _Alexis_ in any way I will call my contacts in the NYPD. I don't need to tell you the lengths they will go to in order to make sure she is safe and happy."

Pi was silent for a moment as he stared open mouthed at Rick, before he said quietly, "Yes, Mr. C, I understand." He turned and left the shop quickly.

"Nicely handled Mr. Castle," Paul told him with a smile. "We need to protect our little girls. Shall I grab your tuxedo?"

"Thank you, and yes, please, that would be great."

The man disappeared for a few minutes, which left Rick alone with his thoughts. He couldn't believe Pi actually thought he would be coming to the wedding. He shook his head. Was he really that stupid? Rick was just glad he had run into Pi before he had the opportunity to show up at the wedding and upset Alexis.

Rick's thoughts were interrupted when his tuxedo was presented to him. "Do you want to try it on, Mr. Castle?"

He had enough experience with the expertise of this shop that he knew it wasn't necessary. "No, thanks, Paul. I know you do good work."

Paul beamed and shook his hand. "Thank you, sir. I'd like to offer my congratulations on your wedding. Your fiancé will be one lucky lady."

Rick smiled. "Thank you, Paul. But, I'm the lucky one. Kate is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Paul smiled knowingly as Rick turned and left the store, tuxedo in hand. He couldn't wait to get home to tell Kate about the crazy fruitarian.

Rick detoured on his way home to the jeweler in order to pick up his wedding present for Kate and their wedding bands. He smiled to himself as he rubbed his thumb over the inscription they had decided on. Each ring had, _Always_, etched on the inside. Kate's was lined with diamonds on the outside, while his was simple and elegant. They were perfect.

Kate's wedding present was initially difficult to pick out. He had spent hours searching the store for just the right piece when a delicate blue comb had caught his eye. It was a butterfly with sapphires scattered throughout. It was different than what Kate would normally go for, but it had reminded him of the Blue Butterfly case they had solved together. Rick thought it would be perfect for her something blue. It could even count as her something new if she didn't have anything else. But he thought it would be beautiful in her hair on their special day. It would bring a piece of their history into their future.

He couldn't wait to give it to her. Rick was lousy with surprises, which is why he had waited so long to pick it up. He only had to hide it a few more days. When the elevator pinged at their floor, Rick walked quickly to the door, eager to kiss his fiancé, even though they had only been apart for a couple of hours. He was surprised, however, to see Alexis sitting on the couch next to Kate.

Both women turned their heads at the sound of the door, and Kate's face lit up as she grinned at him.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted them, returning her smile. Rick carefully slipped the butterfly box into his pants pocket as he set the bag with their rings and his tux on the counter. "Alexis, my dear, you're home early."

"I figured I'd come hang out with you two for a little bit tonight, since you'll be gone soon."

"It'll only be two weeks," Rick told her. "But I know, you'll miss us terribly."

Alexis rolled her eyes in true Kate form. She had been hanging around her stepmother to be too much. "Yeah, that's it Dad. I don't know what I'll do without you," she said dramatically, which caused Rick and Kate to laugh.

Rick looked back and forth between the two women before him as he tried to decide if he should share the Pi story with them. He sat on the couch next to Kate and for the sake of his daughter, kissed her quickly.

"What's up, Dad?" Alexis asked. He had never been good at hiding things from her.

He looked at Kate, who arched her eyebrows in question, before he turned back to face his daughter. "I ran into Pi today."

"What? Where?" Kate asked as she looked at Alexis for her reaction before turning to look at Rick.

"I went to go pick up my tux for the wedding and he was there, supposedly picking his tux up too. He actually thought he was going to come to the wedding," Rick said with disbelief.

Alexis and Kate gaped at him. "Seriously?" Alexis asked. "How could he think that would even be a possibility?"

Rick shrugged.

"Some guys don't know how to take a hint," Kate said.

"Don't worry. I set him straight," Rick grinned.

"What'd you do?" Alexis questioned, unsure what to think.

"Oh, I just let him know that I have contacts at the NYPD who will do whatever it takes to make sure you are safe and happy. He knows it would be in his best interest to leave you alone."

Alexis laughed, and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks, Dad."

"That's what Dad's are for. If I can't scare your ex-boyfriends, who can I scare?"

"Good point," Kate told him. "I'm sure Ryan and Esposito would have had fun with that one."

"What are you watching?" Rick asked as he glanced at the TV.

"Friends," Alexis and Kate said together.

Rick pretended to pout, but he wasn't fooling them. They knew it was one of his favorite shows.

"Popcorn?" Rick stood up. When they nodded he moved towards the bedroom. "I'm just going to go change into sweats, then I'll make it and join you."

Alexis nodded and turned her attention back to their show, while Kate shot Rick a suggestive wink over her shoulder.

He returned it and knew it was going to seem like a long time before they were able to feign exhaustion before escaping to their bedroom. Rick went into the kitchen to grab the bags to take into their room. He stopped off in his office to hide the blue butterfly where Kate wouldn't find it before he deposited his suit in the closet. As Rick looked down at the boxes holding their wedding bands he smiled. He was marrying his best friend, the love of his life in a few short days. Life couldn't be better.

_Thanks __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__ for the dinosaur story, and the man who came into the café when I was writing excited about glow in the dark ice cream! Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	25. Chapter 25

_Note: Wow! You guys never fail to amaze me! Thank you so much for your kind words! And to the person who wrote, "I WANT MORE," don't worry, more is coming! I'm sorry I didn't get to update yesterday. I had every intention of writing, but spent a good portion of the afternoon/evening in the ER. I'm okay, but it wasn't fun. So needless to say all of the smiles you brought me were greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to write a review, they really do mean the world to me!_

**I still don't own Castle. **

Chapter 25.

Rick walked out of the bathroom and grinned to himself. Kate was perched on the edge of their bed, the boxes with their wedding bands open on her lap. She was holding his ring, her thumb rubbing softly over the inscription.

"You're supposed to be admiring your ring, it's the one with the pretty diamonds on it," Rick teased as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Kate turned to look up at him and smiled. "I know, but this is the ring I'm going to be giving you. This is the ring that is going to be a symbol of our commitment to one another." She paused and grinned devilishly at him. "This is the ring that's going to show all of your fans that you are _my_ husband."

"And to think I thought you were going soft on me babe," he winked. "Now I know the truth. You just want to stake your claim on your ruggedly handsome husband."

She turned and swatted him across the chest. "So what if I do?"

Rick just smirked.

"So you're telling me that there's not a part of you that will be glad to be able to tell people I'm your wife?" she said as she swatted him again.

Rick pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her head. "Of course I can't wait for that." He glanced over at her countdown clock. _Wedding Countdown: 3 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _"Three days until it's official!"

Kate beamed at him. "I can't wait! I wish it was today."

"Well, I think people would be mad if we decided to elope now," he joked.

"You're probably right," Kate sighed. "I guess I can wait three days."

"I can't tell you how glad I was to make our honeymoon reservations under Mr. and Mrs. Rick Castle," Rick grinned as Kate turned around to stare him in the eye.

"Where might those reservations be?" she asked as she batted her eyelashes at him.

"That won't work on me Missy," he said as he squeezed his eyes shut so he couldn't look at her.

"If you opened your eyes it might…"

"Nope. Not gonna happen!" Rick turned away so he wouldn't be tempted to give in. "Nice try though!"

Kate grumbled and went to stand up but shrieked as Rick turned and pulled her back, tickling her with reckless abandon.

"Rick! Stop!" Kate screamed through her laughter.

"What? Keep going?"

She lost all ability to talk as their laughter filled the room. Kate's arms and legs flailed around and Rick was careful to keep himself out of harms way.

"Okay, okay. You win, I'll stop," Rick finally said as he attempted to catch his breath. He looked down at his hand, which was still wrapped heavily. "Look! It doesn't even hurt or anything. I think I can take my bandage off."

Kate narrowed her eyes at him in an attempt to assess his condition. She bit her bottom lip without realizing it and watched as his eyes darkened with arousal. Rick reached out and pulled Kate to him and crushed her mouth to his. She lost her train of thought. All she could think about was getting him out of his clothes as quickly as possible, that is until she felt rather than saw him wince in pain. Kate pulled back quickly.

"Liar! Your hand hurts. So that's a no, you can't take the bandage off," she said, still breathless from their kiss.

"But Kaaaate," Rick whined as he jutted his lip out rather pathetically.

"No buts! You can take it off Saturday morning like the doctor said, not before." Kate stood up and put her hands on her hips in an attempt to make herself appear strict. It seemed to work.

"Fine," he pouted.

Kate leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "As much as I'd like to stay and finish what we started, I have to go meet my dad for lunch."

Rick frowned and pulled her to him before he buried his head in her chest. "Do you have to go?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, it'll just be for an hour or two."

"But I'll miss you," he whined again.

"You're pretty pathetic when you're in pain," she teased him. Kate wouldn't admit it, but she would miss him too, which was why she needed to hurry things along. "Go write for a bit and I'll be back before you know it," she said as she wiggled her hips for his benefit.

"Fine," Rick grumbled as he got up. She thought he was going to go straight to the office, so she was surprised when he came up behind her and whirled her around. He kissed her so passionately that when he pulled away she swayed and felt herself go weak in the knees. "One for the road," Rick said huskily as he sauntered out of the room.

Kate turned and gaped at him. That was usually her trick! After a moment, when she was finally able to move, she walked to the office door and poked her head in. Rick was trying to appear busy, but she knew better.

"Tease!"

Rick smirked over the top of his laptop. "I just thought you might like a taste of your own medicine!"

"You'll be in trouble later, Mister," Kate said firmly.

"Can't wait," he grinned. "Love you, say hi to your dad for me."

"Love you too," she told him as she turned and made her way out of the room.

When Kate walked into the diner she saw her dad sitting in their usual booth. He smiled and waved as she made her way down the aisle.

"Hi Dad," she smiled as she leaned across the table to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Hi Katie Bug, are you getting cold feet yet?" Jim winked at her.

Kate laughed. "Nope. My feet are nice and toasty."

"I'm glad, you've got yourself a good man."

"I really do. I'm so happy."

"I know," Jim paused. "I was worried you wouldn't ever get there."

Kate looked down at her hands.

"After your mom died, I know I wasn't there for you like I should have been."

She opened her mouth to speak, but her father just shook his head.

"I couldn't handle your mom not being there. I left you for a while, and I'm sorry. But we found our way back, and for that I am so grateful. Not only have I watched you grow as a cop, which I knew you could do, I have watched you grow as a woman. You've made a life for yourself, Katie. One your mom would be so proud of. I'm so excited to watch you start this new chapter of your life. Marriage, kids, you're going to be such a wonderful mom. I just wish she was here to see you." A tear made its way down her father's cheek.

Kate reached across the table and squeezed his hand. She really wanted to tell him their news, but she wanted to do so with Rick. The moment they got back from their honeymoon they were going to take Martha and her father to dinner to tell them. "I wish she was here too, Dad." She felt the tears run down her face. "She's watching though. I know she is."

Jim smiled at her and nodded. "I can feel it."

She looked down as the waitress stepped over carrying a tray. Kate lifted an eyebrow at her father who shrugged and said, "I ordered your usual."

"Thanks, Dad, I'm starving," she told him as she dug into her burger.

Jim took a bite of his own burger before he exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot!" He reached under the table and pulled out a large box. "I found it."

"You did?" Kate had asked her dad to help her with Rick's wedding present. She had racked her brain trying to figure out the perfect gift for her fiancé when she remembered something he had told Captain Montgomery before. _The best gift is one she said she wanted when she thought you weren't listening_. Kate figured that could work on him too.

After much deliberation because, lets face it, the man had everything, she remembered he had mentioned wanting a certain vintage typewriter for his collection. He had been frustrated because there was a model he couldn't track down, even with all of his connections. It was a Vintage Yost Typewriter, cica 1894, and according to Rick, it was just beautiful.

When her father pulled it out of the box, Kate had to agree. It was in pristine condition, and even though she didn't know typewriters, she could tell this was a gem.

"How did you find this?" she asked with barely contained excitement.

"I know a guy," Jim shrugged stealing Rick's line. He laughed at the surprised expression on his daughter's face. "I do know people too, you know."

"I know you do," Kate told him as she examined the machine in front of her. "This is incredible. He's going to love it."

"He'd love it if you gave him a handmade card Kate, as long as it came from you," he dad reminded her.

She laughed. "You're probably right."

They spent the rest of their meal discussing details of the wedding, but when Kate started to throw around possible honeymoon locations, her father fell silent.

Kate gaped at him. "You know, don't you?"

Jim avoided her gaze.

"Dad!"

"Sorry Katie Bug, I told Rick I'd keep it a secret. Just know that you'll enjoy yourself."

She scowled a moment before giving in and grinning at her dad. "He's gone to a lot of trouble to keep this a secret, it must be amazing."

He nodded. "He loves you."

"I love him too."

Jim left Kate with the promise that he would take care of wrapping the typewriter and bringing it to the wedding so she didn't have to hide it from Rick. He would have no idea. Kate loved surprising Rick. As much as she teased him about acting like a little boy, one of her favorite things was to watch his face light up like a kid on Christmas. She hoped this would do the trick.

When Kate opened the door to the loft she expected to hear Rick typing from his office, but was surprised when all she heard was silence. She went from room to room but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Just when she was starting to get worried she walked int their bathroom to find him asleep in the tub. She smiled to herself and knelt down next to his head and swept the hair out of his eyes.

Rick blinked sleepily up at her. "Hey, you just get home?"

"Yeah. Did you eat?"

"I'm sitting here naked in the tub and you ask if I've eaten?" he asked incredulously.

Kate laughed. "Priorities! I've got to make sure you keep your strength up. You know, for later," she winked at him.

"In that case, no I haven't eaten yet," Rick grinned up at her.

"I'll go fix you something." Kate leaned down and kissed his brow before she left the room.

By the time Rick got out of the tub and changed, Kate had finished preparing a mozzarella, tomato, basil Panini for him. She was just putting it on a plate when he walked in, wearing a pair of jeans with the blue shirt that she loved, still unbuttoned. When he smirked in her direction, she knew he had done it on purpose. Just for that she was going to have to pretend she hadn't noticed. She could do that. Hopefully.

"Made you a Panini," Kate said as she set the plate down in front of him.

"Smells delicious." He took a bite. "Tastes delicious. Thanks." Rick leaned forward and kissed her across the counter. "What did I do to deserve such treatment?"

"You're just you," she said simply, which earned her a grin in response.

"Sap," Rick teased.

"What can I say, Mr. Castle? You bring out the sap in me." Kate moved around the counter and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"I love you," he told her as he took another bite.

"I love you - " Kate started but was interrupted by a sharp pain in her stomach. She inhaled deeply and Rick swiveled around.

"Kate?" he asked, worry etched across his face.

The pain subsided. "I'm okay," she said as she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. But when she went to stand up straight the pain shot through her stomach once more.

"What's wrong?" Rick tried his best to keep his face calm, but inside he was panicking.

"It's my stomach. I keep - " she was interrupted by the pain again. After a moment it subsided again. "It's okay again."

"Why don't we go over to the hospital?" he suggested as he led her to the door. "Just to get things checked out."

Kate nodded and looked up at him. "Rick, I'm scared. What if something's wrong with Peanut?"

Rick paused and placed his hands on her cheeks. He traced his thumbs in circles before he kissed her brow. "It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay." Rick hoped he was right.

_I don't know if that typewriter is actually really hard to find or if it just expensive. But I loved it when I was researching and found it on eBay, so I couldn't resist putting it in here! Also I know I'm leaving you on a cliffhanger, but please trust me and stick with it! Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	26. Chapter 26

_Note: I have to admit I was a bit nervous about leaving you all with a cliffhanger. Thanks to those of you who have said you trust me! I really am so glad you have taken the time to review, it means so much! Thanks again everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter - I have been looking forward to this one for a while :)_

**I don't own Castle. **

Chapter 26.

Rick paced back and forth. They had rushed Kate back to triage so he could fill the forms out. It was killing him not being in there with her, but the nurse had assured him she would just be a couple more minutes. He couldn't call Jim because he didn't know about the baby, and Kate had told him not to call Alexis. Rick hated feeling helpless. He walked over to the wall and leaned forward to rest his forehead against his hands.

"Mr. Castle?" A nurse stepped out of the triage door and looked left and right for him.

"Right here." He practically ran over to her.

"Your wife is doing just fine, she's asking for you," the woman told him with a smile.

Rick just nodded, and followed her back. He didn't even bother to correct her calling Kate his wife. They were close enough to the wedding he didn't think Kate would object. The woman stopped in front of a room at the end of the hallway and Rick walked inside.

He had to take a moment to breathe. When he looked over at Kate sitting in the bed, an IV in her arm and monitors on her stomach he immediately flashed back to when she had been shot and was lying in her hospital bed. Rick tried to shake himself free but the picture of her, so close to death was holding him down.

"Rick?" Kate's voice was timid, quiet.

It was just what he needed to surface from his panic and he stepped forward. "What did they say?" Rick asked as he walked forward and grabbed her hand.

"Nothing yet," she looked at him with tears in her eyes. "They just got my vitals and started the IV so they could get bloodwork just in case."

"Hey, look at me," he tipped her chin up gently so she was forced to look into his deep blue eyes. "It's going to be okay."

Kate looked at him a moment as if trying to decide if she should believe him. "Why did you look so scared if you think everything is going to be okay?" she asked quietly.

Rick looked away and ran his hand through his hair.

She reached out and pulled him down onto the bed next to her. "Talk to me."

Tears welled up in his eyes. "Seeing you lying there…all I could think about was when you were shot. I just had this flashback and I…" his voice broke as he choked back a sob. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it. I'm going to be strong."

"Hey, look at me. I'm right here. I'm okay. Peanut and I are going to be okay." Kate rubbed circles with her thumb on his palm.

Rick let out a light chuckle and she arched her brow, almost afraid he was losing it. "I should be comforting you, not the other way around."

"We're getting married in three days. That means we are there for each other no matter what. I would feel the same way if I saw you lying in a hospital bed. I still have nightmares about D.C.," she trailed off.

Rick's eyes darted to her face. "You do? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because when I wake up and see you lying there next to me, or feel your arms around me, I know everything is okay. Then I go back to sleep and when I wake up I don't remember that I had the dream. I don't know how to explain it other than you just make everything better. Does that make sense?"

Rick nodded. "Will you wake me up if you have any more?" He waited until she agreed before he spoke again. "It does make sense. I had nightmares after you were shot. I wish I had been able to wake up next to you then."

"I'm sorry," Kate told him sadly. "I wish I had been able to wake up next to you then too. I'm sorry I took so long to act on my feelings." Tears began to fall down her face.

"Babe. Don't apologize. Remember the song we're dancing to at our wedding? God bless the broken road that led me straight to you. That's the truth. Everything we've been through, everything we've done has led us to this point. It doesn't matter that it took both of us time to act on our feelings. The important thing is that we're here now. We're getting married in three days. We're going to have a baby. I wouldn't change it for the world. I love you." Rick put his arm around Kate's shoulders and pulled her to him as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

Kate felt the tension leave her body, and she finally believed that everything would be okay. "I love you too," she told him and snuggled into his side.

After a few minutes, Kate fell asleep, but the whirring and beeping of the machines made it impossible for Rick to relax. He sat there, thinking about their future. He thought about Kate's recurring dream, about running down the beach with Kate and their two children. He thought about Alexis and how excited she was to become a big sister. Rick was so engrossed in his thoughts that he never heard the doctor enter the room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Castle?" the man asked as he stepped up to the bed.

Kate woke with a start and nodded. Rick stood up and offered his hand.

"I'm Doctor Malloy, nice to meet you."

"Rick and Kate," Rick responded.

"What seems to be the problem?" Dr. Malloy asked as he turned to look at Kate.

"I was just standing in the kitchen and I had sharp pains in my stomach." Kate explained as she looked over at Rick, worry etched all over her face. He squeezed her hand.

Dr. Malloy looked at the monitor and then back at Kate's chart. He took a moment to poke around on her belly before he stepped back.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Castle, I am happy to say you have nothing to worry about." Rick and Kate both breathed a sigh of relief. "Both heart beats sound normal. As for the pain, your uterus is expanding, and especially with twins, you are going to face some discomfort as your body adjusts."

Rick and Kate gaped at him.

"Excuse me?" Rick asked. "Did you say twins?" Kate's hand was crushing his own as she looked back and forth between Dr. Malloy and Rick.

Dr. Malloy took in their shocked expressions and chuckled. "Yes, I did. I take it by the looks you're giving me you didn't know?"

"Twins?" Kate whispered as she looked at Rick, her eyes wide.

"No one told us," Rick told the doctor.

"It's not uncommon to be missed in your first appointment. Let me be the first to offer you my congratulations on your twins. You two are in for a treat. I'll just get started on your discharge paperwork, and then you can be on your way. I hope you feel better soon, Mrs. Castle," Dr. Malloy said as he walked out of the room.

"Twins?" Kate whispered again.

Rick grinned. "Twins! This is going to be great!"

"Rick, I don't know how to handle one baby, how am I going to handle two?" she asked, eyes teary again.

"There are two of us, two of them. At least we won't be outnumbered," he teased in an attempt to get a smile. It worked.

"You really think we can handle this?" Kate asked, incredulously.

"Oh I know we can." Rick kissed her. "I'm so glad you three are okay. Ooo I need another name now. We already have Pumpkin and Peanut…Pickle! Two babies! This is so exciting."

Kate looked at her fiancé who was beside himself with glee and she couldn't help but grin. As nervous as she was about becoming a mother to not one but two babies, she knew that with Rick by her side, she would be able to handle anything. They were a team. And they were having twins.

"Peanut and Pickle, huh? Is that what you think?" she smiled at him.

"Yes," he told her proudly. "They are going to be perfect. I can't wait to see you with them. Do you see what I mean though? I wouldn't change anything about our journey. Each thing has led us to marriage with twins on the way. Just when I think it can't possibly get any better, it does!" Rick leaned over to kiss her passionately.

They were so lost in each other and their excitement that they didn't notice the nurse had come back until she cleared her throat. Rick jumped back and Kate's face flushed in embarrassment.

"I have your discharge papers for you to sign Mrs. Castle," the woman said as she handed them to Kate, careful to avoid looking her in the eye.

Kate signed them quickly and then passed them to the nurse who disappeared as silently as she had come.

"Do you realize you've been answering to Mrs. Castle since you got here?" Rick asked as he grinned over at his fiancé.

"Who do you think told them that was my name?" she asked with a wink.

"You're not ready to be Mrs. Castle or anything are you?" Rick was positively beaming. The happiness was radiating off of him.

"Oh I am. Now, Mr. Castle, take me home. I think Peanut, Pickle and I need a nap. And I think you should join us," she said suggestively.

Rick didn't need telling twice. Before Kate knew it they had pulled up in front of the loft and were making their way into the elevator. When the doors closed, Kate looked up at Rick and put her arms around his neck.

"We can do this, right?"

"No doubt in my mind. You're going to be a wonderful mom. Remember, you already are," Rick smiled and placed a quick kiss on the tip of her nose as the doors opened.

Kate nodded and let him lead her down the hallway. "We can do this. It just hit me again." She placed her free hand over her belly. "I think it's going to take awhile for it to sink in that we're having twins. I guess it's good we're moving to the bigger place!"

Rick laughed as he opened the door. "You're right. I'm glad we have the extra rooms." He paused for a moment and watched Kate's face. "Who knows what will happen with the next one!"

She stopped in her tracks. "The next one?"

He squeezed her hand reassuringly and winked. "You never know. We do enjoy making little Castles."

"Let's just take this one step at a time," Kate told him with a small smile. "But in the meantime…" She took his hand and headed for their bedroom but stopped when Alexis came down the stairs.

"Where have you guys been?" Alexis asked.

"The hospital," Rick responded automatically and Alexis froze.

"What happened? What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

Kate glared at Rick for his lack of explanation, but he just grinned at her. "Why don't you tell her?"

"Tell me what? What's going on?" Alexis demanded as she looked back and forth between her dad and Kate.

"First of all, I'm fine and the baby is fine," Kate said with a look at Rick that told him he should have started with that. "I just had some stomach pains that worried us, so we figured we should go to the hospital to make sure everything was okay."

Alexis breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." Rick and Kate grinned at each other and Alexis caught it. "So what else is going on?"

"Well, when we were in there, the doctor started talking about both heart beats. We didn't catch it at first, but then he metioned the cramping might be a little worse with twins and - " Kate was cut off by Alexis' shriek. Her soon to be daughter flew across the room and pulled her parents into a giant hug.

"It's twins?" Alexis asked as she pulled away, positively ecstatic.

Rick and Kate nodded together.

"Two babies! This is so exciting! I can't wait!" Alexis bounced up and down on the balls of her feet.

"We were caught off guard at first," Rick confessed, "but we're excited." He pulled Kate into his side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Kate rested her cheek on his chest and watched as her soon to be stepdaughter walked around, unable to contain her excitement. She grinned. It was sinking in – their family was growing and she couldn't be happier. It still surprised her how wonderful her life was. This man had changed everything. Kate was brought out of her thoughts by Alexis bounding over to her.

"Have you thought about names yet?" she asked. "Do you want boys or girls? Or one of each?"

Kate thought for a moment. "I'd be happy with any combination," she answered honestly. "And as for names," she looked at Rick who nodded with a smile. "We have one picked out for a boy and a girl, but I guess we are going to need to come up with a second of each just in case."

Alexis looked at her expectantly. "Do I get to know?"

"Welllllll," Kate teased. "I guess we could tell you. For a boy, we are thinking Alexander Mark, after your father and Mark Twain."

"I love that!" Alexis exclaimed.

"And for a girl," Rick began. "We were thinking either Margret Johanna or Johanna Margret."

"After your mom and Margret Rey?" Alexis asked as she looked at Kate.

Kate nodded.

"I think those names are perfect," she grinned. "I'm so excited!"

They beamed at her.

"Maybe we should wait to figure out the other names until we find out the genders," Rick suggested to Kate.

"I think that sounds good. Do you still want to find out?" They had gone back and forth in their discussion on whether or not they wanted to find out the gender. Eventually they had settled on wanting to know. They wanted to be able to decorate the nursery and buy clothes and other items without having to stick to gender-neutral shades.

"I think so, is that okay?" he asked her.

Kate smiled. "I want to know as soon as we can. I can't wait to start spoiling them."

"Thank goodness!" Alexis laughed. "I don't think I could handle not knowing!" She grabbed them each by a hand and led them over to the couch. "Can we just hang out and watch a movie or something?"

"Sounds perfect, Lex," Kate told her as she sank into the couch.

"Sounds good to me too," Rick added, but he remained standing. Both women looked at him in question. "Anyone want something to eat before I sit?" He looked at his watch. "It is past dinner time after all."

Alexis shook her head as she walked over to pick a movie. "No thanks, I ate already."

Rick turned his gaze to Kate who gave him a shy smile. "Let me guess," he paused, pretending to think hard about her choice. "A smorelette?"

"Ew, Kate really?" Alexis asked in disgust.

Kate laughed as she nodded at her fiancé. "What can I say, the babies want what the babies want."

Rick started towards the kitchen, but stopped in his tracks and turned back to face them. "So, because you're having twins, does that mean I need to make you two smorelettes?"

Kate grabbed a pillow and chucked it across the room at him. Rick caught it and she rolled her eyes. "Just one," she laughed and ducked when the pillow came flying back over her head. "Nice throw," she teased.

"Hey, I didn't want to hit the mother of my children. I did it on purpose."

"Mhmm."

"I did! I really like saying that."

"Saying what?" Kate asked as she turned to face him again.

"The mother of my children," he grinned from ear to ear.

She mirrored his grin. "I like hearing you say that too. You should add wife in there and really make it perfect."

"Um, guys. I'm still here, you realize that right?" Alexis interrupted. "I'm excited and all, but there's only so much lovey dovey I can handle."

"Sorry," they answered together which made them erupt into a fit of giggles and had Alexis rolling her eyes.

When their laughter subsided, Rick made his way into the kitchen to make his fiancé, his almost wife, mother of his children, and stepmother to his daughter, her favorite pregnancy food. It had been a whirlwind of a day, but it had led them here. He glanced into the living room and saw Alexis and Kate talking excitedly. About what, he wasn't sure, but the scene still filled his heart with pride. They were a family, and he couldn't wait to shout from the rooftops that Kate was his wife and they were expecting twins. Just three more days he thought to himself, three more days.

_I hope you enjoyed this one, I loved writing it! Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	27. Chapter 27

_Note: Thank you guys so much for your continued support! You make me smile each and every day with your reviews…you're the best! And special thanks to __**BurningxRedxCaskett**__ for easing my fears on this chapter!_

**I wish I owned Castle, but sadly, I don't. **

Chapter 27.

The dream was different now. It was more real. The kids were the same age, about five, but still a boy and girl. It was Christmas morning, and Rick and Kate were fast asleep, after staying up late playing Santa. The twins ran into their room and jumped up and down on the bed, unable to contain their excitement. Alexis was standing in the doorway, clearly they had woken her first, with a smile on her face. Christmas had once been such a difficult time for Kate, but now, with her family, it brought only joy. Joy from watching her children open their presents, from cooking a meal with her husband and eldest daughter, joy from seeing her father laughing and playing with the twins, just joy. The dream was different now, but it was pure perfection.

Kate woke slowly and felt his eyes on her, even though her eyes were still closed. His arm was draped across her body, and he used this to pull her closer to him.

"How many times have I told you staring's creepy?" she mumbled, eyes still closed.

"Too many times to count," the grin was evident in his voice. "But I can't help it. You're glowing."

Kate opened her eyes slowly and saw the smile that had spread to his crinkling eyes. "You're full of it."

Rick opened his mouth in mock horror. "Me? Full of it? Never!" He paused, and watched her eyebrow arch in disbelief. "Okay. Yes, I can be full of it at times. I'll give you that. But I'm not now. You really are glowing. You're beautiful."

She blushed and he laughed at the embarrassment that had washed over her.

"One of these days you're going to believe me," he told her.

Kate just shook her head and rolled over, curling herself into him. Rick kissed the back of her neck and hugged her closer.

"We're having twins," he whispered in her ear.

His breath made her shiver, and she turned to face him. "It doesn't seem real, does it?"

"I keep waiting to wake up from this wonderful dream," Rick confessed. "But then, I pinch myself, and you're still here, we're still having twins, and the joy hits me all over again."

"Oh, it's real," she began seductively as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. "I'll prove it."

She did prove it. They lost all track of time whenever they were together, and this morning was no different. When they finally got out of bed, Kate looked over at her nightstand. _Wedding Countdown: 2 Days Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _She grinned and felt Rick's arms wrap around her middle from behind.

"Two days. It's almost here," he told her excitedly.

Kate turned and gave him a quick peck. "I can't wait. We better hurry and get ready if we're going to make it to lunch."

Rick pouted. "I don't want to see crazy Aunt Muriel."

Kate laughed. "There's going to be a lot of people there. You probably won't even have to spend a lot of time with her."

"You don't know Aunt Muriel," he grumbled. "She will make sure. Just don't leave me alone, okay? She always kisses me. On the _lips_." He shuddered, which only made Kate laugh harder.

"Okay, I'll protect you from the big, bad old lady," she teased as she made her way into the closet to pick out her clothes. Their out of town family had arrived this morning and they were meeting for lunch at a little Italian bistro so everyone could visit before the wedding. There would be family from both sides, along with their family from the 12th. It would be interesting to see how everyone got along.

Kate was interested to meet Rick's crazy Aunt Muriel, his mother's friend from her childhood that had helped make his childhood interesting. According to Rick, there were times she thought she was psychic, and like Martha, she was extremely dramatic. Rick always believed in the extraordinary and the strange, so Kate was curious to see what it was about this woman that had him wanting to run for the hills.

She knew Rick had planned various activities for all of the family for the rest of the day and the day before the wedding so everyone could enjoy themselves and get to know one another. There were private museum tours, a visit to the winery (Martha's suggestion of course), a trampoline park rented out for the children, and even carriage rides through Central Park. The man really thought of everything.

Rick had dragged his feet for so long while getting ready that when they finally arrived at the Bistro, everyone else was already there, including Alexis, Martha and Jim.

"There you are, Darlings," Martha said with her usual dramatic flair. "I was starting to worry you wouldn't show!"

Kate went forward and hugged her, while Rick stepped forward and kissed her cheek. "Of course we're here, Mother, wouldn't miss it."

"Good. Richard, Muriel has been looking for you. She is dying to meet Katherine," Martha told him with a smirk.

Rick looked at Kate with a panic expression and she couldn't help but smile. She reached over, grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He brought their hands up and kissed hers. "Let's do this," he told her.

The couple mixed and mingled. They worked their way through his family and hers, all while managing to avoid Muriel by ducking to talk to other family members whenever she approached.

Jim proved to be a wonferful asset. When Kate excused herself to use the restroom, he noticed his soon to be son in law's panicked expression and made his way over to him.

"Your mother told me about Muriel," he told him, eyes filled with laughter.

Rick's eyes darted left and right, automatically scanning the room for the woman he had been avoiding. Luckily for him, she had Alexis trapped on the far side of the table.

Jim chuckled. "You should be safe for the time being."

Rick relaxed slightly. "I don't know how to explain it. I'm normally all for the crazy theories and believing the unbelievable, but something about Muriel," he shuddered.

"I understand, Rick. We all have an Aunt Muriel, that one shall we say, quirky relative," he told the younger man knowingly.

"Mother loves her. They've been friends for ages, I don't get it. Why does she always have to kiss me? On the lips!"

Jim laughed again. "Perhaps she finds you irresistable?" he teased.

Rick gave him a look. "Not funny. Not funny at all."

Kate walked up behind him. "What's not funny?

"Your father was theorizing why Muriel always insists on kissing me on the lips. He said maybe she finds me irresistible." Rick shuddered then glared when Kate's laughter filled the room.

"You are pretty irresistible," she began, and momentarily forgot she was standing next to her father.

"There's my cue to leave," Jim told them and watched as both Rick and Kate flushed in embarrassment.

Jim caught Martha's eye and went across the room to join her in conversation. Rick turned to Kate and pulled her to him. He rested his cheek on her head and took a deep breath. "I'm tired of sharing you."

Kate rolled her eyes, but was pleased. "You've been next to me all afternoon."

"I just want to get you back home," he whispered in her ear and pulled away to look in her eyes just in time to see them darken in arousal. "What do you say we give our thank you speech and get out of here before they try to rope us into the museum tour?"

She just nodded in agreement. But they had been distracted by each other a moment too long. Muriel had come over undetected and planted a loud, wet, kiss on Rick's lips. When he tried to pull away she pulled him in a big hug.

"Ricky, Ricky, Ricky! It's been far too long!" she exclaimed when she finally released him and pulled away.

Kate laughed inwardly, but was caught off guard when the woman turned to face her. "You must be the lovely Katherine I've heard so much about!" Muriel exclaimed before she planted a kiss on Kate's lips.

"Uh, Muriel," Rick said as he attempted to free Kate. "Yes, this is Kate, I'm terribly sorry we haven't had a chance to introduce you before."

Muriel pulled away and Kate shot Rick a grateful look. He nodded and turned his attention back to his "Aunt".

"Ricky, Darling, you're looking too skinny! Doesn't this fiancé of yours feed you enough?" she questioned, as she looked him up and down.

"I eat very well, Muriel, thank you," Rick told her firmly as Kate's eyes narrowed.

Muriel turned her gaze to Kate once more. "When are you due?"

"E-excuse me?" Kate spluttered.

"When are you due? As in when are you having your baby?" Muriel asked again.

Lanie chose that moment to walk by and she froze immediately. "Say what?"

"I'm not expecting," Kate told them, not entirely convincing.

"Girl…" Lanie said as she eyed her best friend.

"Lanie, please," Rick began. "If Kate were pregnant, wouldn't you be one of the first to know?" It wasn't exactly a lie. The only other person who knew was Alexis, so when they told people, Lanie would be one of the first to know.

Luckily for them, Esposito called Lanie's name and she let the topic drop. "You're right," she told them before she headed off to see her fiancé.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief and Rick put his arm around her.

"Oh not so fast you two," Muriel said. "You're not getting out of this that easily. I had a vision of you two, with your children. I know it wasn't too far from now, so you've got to be pregnant now."

"Aunt Muriel, we would love to have children, but you're off base," Rick told her. Again, it wasn't exactly a lie. She was off base; they were having twins, not one baby! "Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to go make our speech." He didn't even wait for her answer before he grabbed Kate's hand and led her away.

"How did she know?" Kate whispered.

Rick shrugged. "It's Muriel. I don't know how she knows anything. When I was younger she knew when I lost my virginity. Talk about embarrassing. Did I tell you or did I tell you?"

"You told me. I just didn't believe it was that bad. And that kiss - "

"Right? Why is it always on the lips?"

Kate shuddered. "I'm just glad Lanie didn't push the subject. I thought for sure she'd latch onto that and make me admit it was true."

"Me too. The whole restaurant would have heard," Rick laughed.

"There's no way she would have kept that quiet," Kate agreed. "Ready to make that speech and get out of here?" She traced her thumb in circles over his hand.

"Definitely." Rick walked over to the table and grabbed the nearest glass and knife. When he clinked them together, every head turned his direction. "I wanted to thank everyone for coming into town to celebrate with us this weekend. I'm going to do my best to keep this short and sweet."

He was interrupted by Ryan and Esposito's laughter and them calling out, "You? Keep things short and sweet?"

Kate laughed and looked over at her fiancé who grinned. She knew why he wanted to keep the talking to a minimum, and she was just as eager to get back home as he was.

"Yes, I know I can be long winded at times," Rick began. "But I'll save my long speech for the reception." Esposito groaned and Rick raised his glass to him. "That'll be just for you Espo. In all seriousness though, it means a lot to us to have so many wonderful people here. It may seem clichéd, but two families have really become one this weekend." Rick turned to Kate now. "I love this woman with all of my heart and everything I am, and I can't wait for Saturday to get here so I can _finally_ call her my wife. Now, for those of you who are heading to the Natural History Museum for your private tour, the cars should be out front. Enjoy, and we will see you soon."

Rick and Kate made their way to the back exit while everyone else headed out the front. As they passed through, they were hugged by almost everyone. When Rick saw Muriel coming towards them, he grabbed Kate's hand and pulled her quickly out the door. He kept up their quick pace until they were safely in the car.

Once they were settled in, Kate looked over at her fiancé and giggled. It quickly turned into full-blown laughter and he looked at her like she had lost it.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You," she managed between laughs. "You couldn't get away from Muriel fast enough. I'm surprised she didn't chase us out here to get us to admit I'm pregnant."

Rick looked at her and couldn't help himself. He joined in. "I did tell you was crazy," he laughed.

Before they knew it they were both crying. "I'm glad we made it out of that with our secret," Kate confessed when she got her breath back.

Rick nodded in agreement. "When we get back will be soon enough to tell everyone."

Kate reached over and placed her hand on his knee, which made him squirm. "Alexis went to the history museum right?"

"Yeah, she wanted to see the exhibit - " he began, but stopped at the look in Kate's eye. Her hand started to trail up his leg.

Rick pulled into their parking spot in the structure at the loft and practically bolted out of the car. "You know, this is one of your last nights as a single woman," Rick told her huskily as they got into the elevator.

"Well then we better make it count," she winked. And they did.

_Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	28. Chapter 28

_Note: Thank you all so much for your continued reviews! Each one is daily encouragement and I am so grateful! The wedding is almost here! This chapter is longer than usual – I didn't want to split it up and there was so much to say, I hope you like it! Castle today, finally!_

**I think you guys know this by now…I don't own Castle.**

Chapter 28.

"Girl, are you sure you don't want to stay at my place tonight? Or if you don't want to stay here, we could always stay in a hotel…You know it's supposed to be bad luck to see Castle before the ceremony," Lanie said, for what had to have been the third time in their very short conversation.

"Lanie. I really appreciate the offer. I do. But, Rick and I, we've never really been conventional. You know that. We've talked about it and we don't want to spend the night apart. Neither one of us will sleep well, and we don't want to go into the happiest day of our lives on no sleep," Kate looked over at Rick who was lying on the couch and he nodded his agreement even though Lanie couldn't see him.

"If you're sure…" Lanie didn't sound convinced.

"We're sure, Lanie. I promise."

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you soon at the library?"

The wedding party was meeting at the library so they could go over their positions and duties for the day of the wedding before they went over to the Old Haunt for their rehearsal dinner. Kate had been skeptical about having their rehearsal dinner in the same place as their reception, but Rick had assured her it would be no trouble to change the décor as most of the preparations would be taking place the morning of the wedding.

"Yes, we will see you soon!" Kate told her excitedly as she hung up the phone and turned to face her fiancé.

Rick grinned, grabbed her around the middle and pulled her down onto the couch next to him. "Look!" he told her as he pulled something from behind his back. It was the countdown clock. _Wedding Countdown: 1 Day Until You Are Mrs. Rick Castle! _His eyes shone with happiness.

"How long have you been waiting to show me that?" she laughed.

"Since you came in here," Rick answered and batted his eyelashes. "Adorable, right?"

Kate rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "Absolutely adorable," she said sweetly as she kissed him. "So did the guys try to get you to ditch me tonight too, or was that just Lanie?"

Rick shrugged. "They tried, but I made it clear it wasn't going to happen. Let's be honest. It's a silly superstition."

Kate couldn't help it, she laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day when Richard Castle called superstition 'silly'."

Rick flushed slightly. "I just think we've been through enough and beat all the odds. Now that we've been together, I just don't want to spend another night alone."

She leaned over and snuggled into his side. "Hey I'm right there with you."

They sat, wrapped up together until Martha and Alexis came down the stairs.

"Darlings, shouldn't you be getting ready?" Martha asked as she looked at her watch. "We need to leave shortly."

Rick glanced down at Kate who nodded. "We'll be ready, Mother. Don't worry."

Alexis busied herself in the kitchen and made some tea, while Martha walked over to join the couple on the couch with a small gift.

"Things are going to be a bit crazy today and tomorrow, I'm sure, so I wanted to give this to you now."

Kate sat up and reached over to hug her soon to be mother in law. "Thank you Martha, you didn't need to get us anything."

"Why don't you open it before you thank me?" Martha laughed.

Rick cocked an eyebrow in his mother's direction and pulled away the wrappings. It was a rather thick book entitled, _Martha-isms: Getting You Through Day by Day_. Rick and Kate looked at one another before they plastered smiles onto their faces and got up to hug the eccentric woman.

Alexis let out a laugh from the kitchen and made her way into the living room to see the book for herself. Martha joined in her laughter and it took a moment for the two women to calm themselves down.

"You should have seen your faces!" Martha laughed as Rick and Kate exchanged a look of confusion.

"I told you they'd believe it was real," Alexis told her grandmother as she erupted into another fit of giggles.

"It's not real?" Rick asked as he flipped through the book. He didn't understand. As he turned the pages there was Martha-ism after Martha-ism, ones he had heard his whole life as well as pages of new material. From the look on Kate's face, she was just as confused as he was.

"Oh Darlling, it's real. But it's not your gift. Alexis and I came up with the idea as a gag gift of sorts. I know how you felt about my life coaching, so we thought we would make this book so you never forget the life lessons you learned from your mother."

"You mean like how to make the perfect Bloody Mary after your mother was out late?" Rick teased.

"Richard. That happened twice, tops," Martha told him as she swatted him in the chest.

It was Rick's turn to roll his eyes. He had gotten that little skill from Kate.

"Anyway, Grams and I got you a gift together." Alexis told them as she walked back and pulled a box out from behind the staircase.

Rick passed it to Kate so she could open it. When she pulled the paper away she was met with a large picture frame. There were two pictures inside. The first was a picture from shortly after Rick had started following her around for his research. It was clear they didn't know a picture was being taken, but there was a look between the two of them. The only way to describe it would be love. The second picture was much more recent. Rick and Kate had been strolling through Central Park when they found someone to take their picture. Rick had his arms wrapped around Kate and she had her head tipped back looking into his eyes. The frame had an inscription in the bottom that read, _Denial or not, all the songs have made sense since the beginning. _

Kate felt a tear slide down her cheek. She looked over at Rick and saw that his eyes were swimming as well. "I've never seen this picture," she whispered.

"Me either." Rick turned his gaze on his mother and daughter who were standing together as they watched. "Thank you. This is truly wonderful. Where did you get this photo?"

Martha grinned, pleased with their reaction. "Detectives Ryan and Esposito had it. I metioned looking for an early picture of you two and they knew the perfect one. I think it captures your love perfectly – even though you both tried to hide it for so long."

Kate blushed. "We were crazy, what can we say? But really, thank you, Martha, Alexis; this is the most beautiful gift. I can't wait to hang it in our new home." She got up and hugged both women in turn. Rick followed suit.

"Thank you both again," Rick said as he held the photo out again to admire it. "It's perfect." He pulled Alexis to him and kissed her forehead. "Alright, everyone should probably go get dressed. If you're ready before us, go ahead and leave, if not we can all head over to the library together."

Everyone agreed before heading off to their respective rooms. Rick followed Kate into their bedroom and set the picture frame on their bed.

"Everyone knew it. I'm just glad we've finally gotten here," he told her.

"Me too," Kate added. "Me too."

The couple got ready quickly as the moved around each other with ease. Kate had settled on a tea length white, chiffon dress that belled out when she turned. It was beautiful and made her feel like a bride. Rick had decided to wear black dress pants with a deep blue shirt at his fiancé's request. She loved the way the blue brought out his eyes, and he was happy to please her. By the time they made it out into the living room, however, Martha and Alexis had gone. Kate was secretly pleased that this meant they could take the Ferrari. She always got a rush when Rick drove them around, even though she would never admit it to him – it was too much fun to let him think she couldn't stand his driving!

Rick and Kate were the last to arrive at the library. The crew was still working on setting up the decorations, so they weren't able to get the full picture. Rick reassured his bride to be that it would look perfect the next day. She could see enough to know he was right. They walked through the music and where everyone would enter the room and stand. They went through walking down the aisle and the appropriate speed with which to do so. Esposito and Lanie had practically jogged down the aisle, which caused everyone to tease that it was their haste to get married themselves. The couple had reddened at the thought, but they hadn't denied the accusations.

Kate and her father walked down the aisle, and Kate whispered to her father, "Did you bring the gift for Rick?"

He shook his head and she looked slightly alarmed. Jim smiled. "Don't worry, Katie Bug. I have someone delivering it to the loft so it will be there when you get home. I didn't want you to have to worry about carrying it or having to explain yourself before you were ready."

Kate beamed at him. "You're the best Dad, you know that?"

Jim leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too, Dad."

When everyone knew their timing and where they were supposed to stand, the man who was going to marry them walked in. Rick's eyes grew wide as he looked at the man standing before them and he opened his mouth to speak, but a slight shake of the man's head had him closing it again. Kate looked at Rick and raised her eyebrows in question, but Rick gave her a look that clearly said _I'll tell you later_.

"Do you want to rehearse your vows?" the man asked them.

They shook their heads. "We want to save that for tomorrow," Rick told him.

The man dismissed them with the promise he would see them tomorrow. As they all moved towards the library entrance the man asked if he could speak to Rick and Kate in private. Rick told their friends and family that they would meet them at the Old Haunt shortly, and they followed the man down the corridor into a small room.

"What are you doing here? How are you here?" Rick began, as Kate looked back and forth between the two men for a moment before understanding washed over her.

"I wanted to see you, Richard. I wanted to have a part in your special day. I was ordained with the hope that you would let me perform the ceremony. I wanted to meet the woman you are going to marry. If you don't want me to be here, I'll leave. I wanted to give you the option. I wanted you to know I _want _to be here to see this special day."

Kate looked over at Rick, unsure of the thoughts going through his head. Normally she was so good at reading this man, but now, his face was blank, his eyes gave nothing away.

Rick was quiet. When he finally spoke, he turned to Kate. "Kate, this is Jackson Hunt. He's my father."

Kate turned to the man and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you." He had the same sparkle in his eyes as his son. Now that she was really seeing them side by side, the resemblance was remarkable.

"It's nice to meet you too. I know I haven't been there for my son, but I have always kept an eye out for him. I know you have been good to him and have been even better for him. Thank you."

Kate nodded and turned her attention back to Rick who was staring, almost transfixed at his father. She moved to his side and reached out for his hand. She squeezed it gently, as much of a reassurance that she was there for him as it was for something to pull him back to the present.

It seemed to work. Rick looked to his father then back over to Kate. "If it's okay with Kate, I'd like to have you there tomorrow."

Kate nodded again.

Hunt breathed a sigh of relief. "Just please don't bring it to Martha's attention. I don't want to hurt her."

Rick agreed quietly, but was still lost in his thoughts.

"You two had better go to your dinner. Thank you for letting me be a part of this, Richard. It means a lot," he told them as he made his way out of the room.

Rick seemed to wake out of his haze and bolted to the door. "Wait a minute - " but his words died off when he saw the empty corridor. It made sense that the CIA operative would know how to disappear quickly.

"Are you okay?" Kate came up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his back.

"Yeah. It just threw me off. I wasn't expecting to see him again. I definitely didn't expect him to come to our wedding, let alone perform our ceremony. Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Rick, if you want your father there, I want him there," she answered honestly.

Rick pulled her around so he could look in her eyes. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"I know," she teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

He smiled. "We probably should get over to the Old Haunt or they'll send a search party for us."

Kate laughed. "You're probably right."

They left the library hand in hand and by the time they got to the Old Haunt, the party was in full swing.

"Where have you guys been?" Alexis asked as they walked in the door.

"We just had to talk about some last minute details," Kate told her.

"Hey girlfriend," Lanie practically sang as she danced over to hug her best friend.

"How're those drinks Lanie?" Rick asked her as she turned to hug him.

"Delicious," she grinned. "Now that the happy couple is here, we can do our toasts!" Lanie led the couple to their places and began tapping her knife on her glass. The room quieted immediately.

"I know I'm not the only one to be thinking this," Lanie began. "But it's about damn time these two get married!"

The room erupted into laughter.

"But in all seriousness," she turned her attention to Kate. "I have never seen you happier than when you are with this man. I watched you come alive when you finally let him into your heart. I know when it comes to you two it hasn't always been easy, but you have made it work. You are truly perfect for one another. I'm so proud to be able to call you my best friend and to be a part of your special day. Now, I better stop or I'll have nothing to say tomorrow. I love you girl," Lanie finished and leaned over to pull Kate into a hug.

Kate wiped her eyes. "I love you too, Lanie. Thank you." She reached into her purse and pulled out the jewelry boxes that held the gifts for her girls. She passed them out and each face lit up as they saw the beautiful necklaces. Kate beamed at her bridal party. Everything was perfect.

Esposito and Ryan chose that moment to stand up and clear their throats together. "Our turn," Ryan announced and Esposito nodded his head.

"Bro, you're like family to us," Esposito began.

"We love you like a brother," Ryan continued.

"But if you hurt Beckett - "

"Or is it Castle now too?" Ryan interrupted.

"Either way. We won't hesitate to kill you," Esposito told him seriously.

"We're cops, man. We know how to hide a body," Ryan added.

Rick laughed nervously while Kate glared at the boys. "I promise I'll treat her right, guys."

"Then you've got nothing to worry about," Esposito grinned and the room laughed again.

"You know, if you aren't going to be nice, I may decide not to give you your gifts," Rick told them with an attempt to keep a straight face.

Esposito glared at him.

Rick held up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, you win." He reached behind the table and pulled out two large bags.

The guys pulled the paper out and looked at each other, then at Rick with matching grins.

"Our own laser tag gear?" Ryan asked as his grin continued to grow (if that was even possible).

Rick nodded.

"Bro. I love you, man," Esposito said as he pretended to get all choked up. The guys looked at each other then sandwiched Rick in a hug.

Kate and Lanie rolled their eyes. "Boys," Kate said as she shook her head.

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Their friends and family laughed and talked well into the evening, but surprisingly, it was Lanie who decided the festivities were over. She sent everyone on their way because _beauty sleep was a necessity for everyone involved in the wedding_. Lanie felt it was her duty to make sure everyone was home at a suitable hour. She didn't want to see anyone with circles under their eyes. No one wanted to argue with Dr. Parish so the Old Haunt cleared out pretty quickly.

When Rick and Kate walked into the loft after the festivities, it was dark and they nearly tripped over the big box in the entryway.

"What is that?" Rick asked as Kate smiled.

"Your wedding present."

"Oh! I'll be right back. I want to give you yours tonight. You'll need it tomorrow." Rick sprinted from the room and was back before Kate could even move the box to the living room.

Kate laughed. He really was like a kid hopped up on candy and the excitement of Christmas. Rick helped her with the large box and led Kate into the living room.

"You first," he told her as he placed the box in her hands.

Kate unwrapped the paper and saw the velvet box. She looked at him in question, but his gaze urged her to open it. When she opened the box and saw the blue butterfly clip she was speechless.

"Do you like it?" he asked her eagerly.

"It's perfect," she breathed. "Something new, and blue."

Rick beamed at her. "When I saw it, I thought back to the blue butterfly case, and I couldn't resist. It feels like a piece of our history."

Kate leaned forward and kissed him. "Thank you. I love it." It was her turn to watch when she picked up the box and placed it in his lap.

"What did you do?" he teased as he opened the box.

When Rick pulled the typewriter out, he looked at it, then back at Kate. His eyes were shining and just when she thought his smile couldn't get any bigger, it did. "How did you find this?" he asked.

Kate shrugged. "A magician never reveals her secrets," she joked. "But, actually I - "

"No, I don't want to know," he interrupted. "I like the mystery. This is perfect, thank you," he told her sincerely. Rick set the typewriter down on the coffee table and pulled Kate to him. "I love you."

She relaxed into his embrace. "I love you too. I can't believe by this time tomorrow I'll be Mrs. Richard Castle."

Rick grinned. "I can't believe it's finally here! Can you believe it's your last night as a single woman?"

Kate turned and kissed him sweetly. "I haven't been single for a long time," she winked. "But I can't wait to be a married woman."

"Tommorrow," Rick told her as he helped her up and led her to their bedroom.

"Tomorrow," she grinned.

_Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	29. Chapter 29

_Note: Wow – over 300 comments! You guys are amazing! To each and every one of you who have taken time out of your day to read my story, and to those who have left reviews, thank you. Your support means the world to me! We are finally here, the wedding! I hope I am able to do it justice and that you all enjoy! _

**Chapter 29.**

Kate blinked her eyes open and saw_ Wedding Countdown: Today You Are Mrs. Rick Castle!_ She allowed herself an internal squeal; she was getting married, today! Rick's arm tightened around her stomach. He brushed her hair out of the way and kissed the back of her neck softly.

"We're getting married today," he whispered and Kate could hear the grin in his voice.

She rolled over so she could face the man who would be her husband by the time they went to sleep. "When we wake up tomorrow, we'll be married," she beamed.

Rick kissed the tip of her nose. "You look absolutely radiant," he told her honestly.

Kate blushed. "I guess happiness and pregnancy will do that to you," she smiled shyly and leaned in to kiss him.

"You know, this is our last morning waking up in this loft," Rick said as he looked around the room. "When we come back from our honeymoon, everything will be at the new place."

She rested her cheek on his chest and followed his gaze around the room. "I'll miss this place," Kate paused. "But I'm excited to make new memories in our new home."

Rick looked at her a moment, then placed his hand on her belly. "I think Peanut and Pickle will love our new home."

Kate laughed. "Me too."

"What time are they getting started with your hair and make-up?" Rick asked as he glanced at his watch.

"We are supposed to be there at 10. Why, what time is it?"

"A little after 9…we should probably get up." Rick made a big show of stretching before he sat up and pulled Kate with him.

He went into the bathroom to get ready for the day and when he came back out Kate was dressed in a white tank top that had _Bride_ written across the front in silver sparkles. She had on a pair of black yoga pants that had _I Do _written across the back fold where Rick was used to seeing _Pink_.

Kate spun around in a circle. "You like?" She grinned as he crossed the room quickly to kiss her.

"I love."

They reluctantly pulled apart so Kate could brush her teeth and gather the rest of the belongings necessary for the day. The blue butterfly clip was on the top of her pile, along with the necklace with her mother's ring, her purple heels (to match the flowers), and the garment bag that held her dress.

"Don't even think about sneaking a peek, Rick," Kate called from the bathroom.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he answered. And the truth was, he wouldn't. He didn't want to spoil the surprise. He wanted to see Kate wearing the dress – he knew it would take his breath away.

Rick helped Kate carry everything down to the limo that was taking her and Alexis to the salon. Alexis was already waiting inside and beamed up at her dad and soon to be mom. "Are you guys excited?" she asked with a giggle.

"That's a bit of an understatement," Kate said with a grin as she slid in next to her almost stepdaughter.

Rick leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I'll see you at the library."

"I'll be the one in white," she winked.

He laughed and closed the door before he tapped on the hood of the limo to signal the driver they were good to go. Rick watched them pull away and went back up to the loft. He had a few last minute items to pack for their honeymoon before he too would be leaving the loft for the library. The guys had the first picture time. They would do all of their groomsmen pictures while the women finished up at the salon so that when the women arrived they could keep Rick from seeing Kate before the First Look. Rick was positively giddy; he couldn't wait for these next few hours to pass so he could see Kate in her dress on their wedding day.

Rick busied himself collecting everything he needed and was lost in thought so he didn't hear the door open.

"Hey bro, you ready to go?" Esposito asked as he clapped Rick on the back.

Rick dropped the book he was holding and turned to see the boys standing there staring at him.

"What are you doing here? I thought I was going to meet you at the library!"

"What kind of best men would we be if we didn't escort you in style?" Ryan asked with a grin.

"Yeah, man, we cancelled your towncar and got a limo. No best friend of ours is going to ride to his wedding on his own," Esposito added.

Rick smiled at them. "Thanks guys, I appreciate it. You'll be a welcome distraction. The time is passing painfully slowly today."

"We kinda figured you'd say that. So we brought something to help," Ryan said as he pulled something from behind his back.

"Laser tag?" Rick asked, confused.

"Yeah, bro. We had an idea. Library laser tag while we wait for the girls! It'll be epic," Esposito explained.

"We know the photographer is going to want pictures of us, so we figured we could do some of the traditional photos with some of us goofing around playing laser tag thrown in there too," Ryan added.

"Brilliant! Let me grab my vest and gun," Rick said as he disappeared into his office. He retrieved his laser tag gear and grabbed their honeymoon luggage. Ryan and Esposito each grabbed a bag and helped Rick down to the limo where they loaded everything up and got in to enjoy their ride.

While the men plotted their game route on the drive, the women were busy being pampered. They got their nails painted, and make-up and hair done. Lanie and Alexis opted for their hair down in loose curls, while Kate's was swept up with an intricate side braid that came back into a loose bun. The stylist clipped the blue butterfly carefully on the side, which completed the look.

"You look beautiful," Alexis told Kate as she pulled her in for a hug. "Dad is going to lose it."

Kate blushed. "Thanks Lex." She looked over at Lanie and saw her friend attempting to wave away her tears. "Lanie, don't cry, you'll ruin your make-up!"

"Girl, I'm trying, I'm just so happy for you," Lanie sniffed.

Kate went over and hugged her best friend. "Thanks, I'm so glad you guys are here for me right now. I wish my mom could be here too."

"She's here for you sweetie," Lanie told her. "I know she is."

She nodded and accepted the joint hug from Lanie and Alexis. "I'm okay. I just miss her. Are you guys ready to go?"

"Real quick before we go," Lanie said as she pulled a box out of her purse. "I know you have your something old with your mom's ring, new, and blue with your butterfly, but I figured you could use something borrowed." It was a beautiful bracelet with three small diamonds. "It's something I plan to wear on my wedding day."

"Lanie, it's perfect, thank you," Kate told her friend as she fought back tears again. It was a good thing they had used waterproof mascara.

"Come on guys, we should get going," Alexis told them as she gathered up their belongings.

When the other two were ready, they ventured outside and into the limo. Kate turned down Lanie's offer of champagne with the reasoning that her stomach was too jittery to handle the alcohol. Lanie seemed to accept this explanation, but poured herself a glass anyway.

When they walked into the hall, Kate stopped in her tracks. The room was beautiful. There were white candles with black ribbons scattered on tables throughout the hall. Each was set with a small sparkling stone in the middle. There were dark red dahlias, golden black-eyed susans, yellow and orange calla lilies, purple trachelium and orange roses in vases up near where the bridal party was to stand. They were scattered enough to be similar to the bridal bouquets yet different to the point where they wouldn't detract attention.

The best part though, in Kate's opinion was the small round table just inside the door. There was a large vase with an arrangement that matched Kate's bridal bouquet at the top of the table. On both sides were rows of beautiful candles that met in the middle with a large picture frame. It was a picture of her mom. There was a sign next to it that read, _In Loving Memory of Johanna Beckett, who is here celebrating in spirit. _

Lanie came up behind Kate and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "He thought of everything," she said quietly.

Kate just nodded; she was at a loss for words.

"Kate, darling, you're here! You look beautiful!" Anton came bustling over to them. "The guests will be arriving shortly. Are you ready for your pictures?"

"Yea, can I just get a minute?" she asked quietly. Anton nodded in understanding and pulled Lanie and Alexis over so he could start with them.

After a few minutes Kate had collected herself enough to join in on the pictures. Lanie and Alexis helped her into her dress, and Anton was able to get some great shots of the whole process.

When they were finished, Kate asked, "Did you finish up with the guys?"

"Yes! They were so much fun to shoot. Wait until you see the finished products. I'm sure you're going to love everything. Ask Rick later what they did," he told her with a twinkle in his eye.

Kate and Lanie looked at each other and exchanged a _what did they do now_ glance with each other.

"Are you ready to see Rick? I've got him on standby for the First Look," Anton questioned.

Kate looked at Lanie and Alexis who smiled encouragingly. She took a deep breath and nodded. As Anton took her arm, Kate's stomach danced with butterflies. She wasn't nervous; it was pure excitement and adrenaline. Even though she had just seen Rick this morning, Kate was going to see him in his tuxedo now. He was going to see her in her wedding dress. This day was finally here. They were getting married.

As Anton led her up to the door, he told her to wait a moment before coming in so he could set the scene up. Kate's heart raced as she awaited his signal. In reality, it was only two minutes, but to her, it seemed to take forever. She just wanted to see Rick.

When Kate heard the tap at the door, she took a deep breath and pushed her way inside. Rick's back was to her. She made her way across the room and laid a hand on his shoulder. When he turned around, Kate's heart caught in her chest. Her ruggedly handsome fiancé was about to become her ruggedly handsome husband and he looked absolutely perfect. Rick caught her in a kiss and the rest of the world fell away.

When he finally pulled away, Rick took in the picture that was his fiancé. She was beautiful. The blue butterfly caught the light and sparkled, and when his gaze moved down to take in her dress, Rick's breath was taken away. It was simple, elegant and so very Kate. The sweetheart neckline hugged her perfectly. There was a slight sparkle to the bodice, enough to add a little something, but not so much as to take away from Kate's beauty.

Kate blushed under his gaze. Rick reached out and grabbed her hand. He lifted her arm and spun her around so he could see the back of her dress. The deep "v" of the dress ended at her lower back, which only accentuated her toned muscles. Rick Castle was at a loss for words, so he pulled his bride in for another kiss.

"Wow, Kate. Just wow. You look absolutely breath taking," Rick told her when they finally broke apart.

"You're not so bad yourself," she winked.

"We've got some wonderful shots here," Anton said as he walked over. The couple shared a look that said they forgot anyone was watching. It was easy to miss the cameras when they only had eyes for each other. "I'm going to go see if they are ready for you out there."

The couple moved together once more, but were interrupted when Rick's father came in the room.

"Are you two ready?" he asked. "I'm going to be in there by the time you walk down the aisle Rick. By that point in time, Martha should be distracted enough by the guests that she won't even think twice about the man standing up there with you. I'll be gone as soon as the ceremony ends, so I wanted to offer my congratulations now. Kate, I'm glad you and Rick have found each other. I want you both to know I will think of you often and will keep my eye out for your best interest. I'll see you again one day, hopefully soon." Hunt pulled Rick and Kate into a hug.

"Thank you for being here," Rick began. "It means a lot." Kate leaned into Rick's side and rested her head on his shoulder as they watched Hunt leave the room.

"I'm glad he's here," Kate told him. This reunion brought back the memory of the picture of her mother Rick had arranged. "Rick, thank you for making Mom a part of today. That really means a lot to me. It was such a nice surprise."

Rick kissed her forehead. "Of course. She is a part of today. She's a part of you, so I thought it was only right that we honor her." He pulled her into a hug and held her tight until Anton came back, this time accompanied by Jim.

Jim walked over and shook Rick's hand. "You're a good man, Rick. Take care of my girl."

"I will Jim, I promise," he answered before he let Anton lead him off to the main room. Rick cast one more glance over his shoulder at his glowing bride and closed the door so the father and daughter could have a moment alone.

"You look beautiful, Katie Bug, just like your mother did on our wedding day," Jim said as he kissed his daughter's cheek. There were tears in his eyes, but they didn't fall.

"Thanks Dad," she blushed. "Did you see the picture of Mom out front?"

Jim nodded. "I meant what I told Rick. He's a good man. I think he'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're happy."

"He will," Kate agreed. "And I'd do anything to make him happy."

"I know you would. What do you think? Are you ready to get married?" Jim asked with a grin.

"Yes," she smiled broadly. "More than ready."

In what was both the shortest and longest time of her life, Kate waited for the bridal party to make their way down the aisle. Then, the music changed to the bridal march, everyone stood, and Jim took his daughter's arm. Kate didn't see anyone else in the seats beside her as she made her way down the aisle. She didn't see Captain Gates, or the Montgomery's. She didn't see Martha dabbing at her tears with tissues. She didn't see Paula snapping pictures of her own. And she didn't see her bridal party (Esposito and Ryan included) dabbing at the tears in their eyes. All she saw was Rick. His eyes were crinkling with his radiant smile. They were already glistening with tears, and she knew hers were too. Kate knew they were grinning like fools and she didn't care. Everything about this moment was absolutely perfect.

Jim passed his daughter's hand to Rick and shook his hand once more. Rick pulled him into a hug, and Jim nodded to his son in law before he turned to find his seat.

Rick took both of Kate's hands in his own and squeezed them. "I can't believe it's finally here," he whispered softly, for her ears only.

"I know," she replied quietly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Rick's father cleared his throat and began the ceremony. "Rick and Kate have decided that they would like to share their own vows with one another." Hunt looked at Kate. "Kate, whenever you're ready to begin."

Kate looked into Rick's sparkling blue eyes and took a deep breath before she began. "You once told me that if you don't believe in even the possibility of magic, you'll never find it. Before you, I never believed in magic. I never believed in the extraordinary or in true love. To me, love was a fairytale, and I never in a million years expected it to become my reality. I never expected you. Rick, you changed my life. With you I've found magic. I believe in fairytales again. I've found my one true love. I built walls around myself and you pushed your way through and claimed my heart. I am so thankful every day that you never gave up on me. Yes, you may drive me crazy from time to time, but that's what makes life with you fun and more exciting. There is never a dull moment when you're around. I haven't ever shared this story with you, Rick...You saved me. Before I even knew you, you saved me. When my mom died, your books offered me comfort. They gave me an outlet that helped me through her murder. She loved your writing, and in a way, I feel like she led me to you. I know you guessed it before, and I never wanted to admit it to you, but I have always been your number one fan. Your books were a way for me to escape reality. They gave me cases where there was justice, and this gave me hope. Thank you for being there for me then and now. You make me happier than I ever thought was possible. I promise you I will try my best to do the same for you each and every day and I will love you, always."

There were tears running down Rick's cheeks, but the grin that came across his face when she finished was so much wider than any she had ever seen. He leaned forward and kissed Kate's cheek and she reached up to wipe the tears from his eyes. To them, everyone else had disappeared from the room. There was no one but the two of them.

"That was beautiful," Rick said quietly, and Kate blushed.

"Rick, whenever you're ready," Hunt told his son and watched as Rick took a steadying breath.

"I don't know how to follow that," Rick told everyone. "But I'm going to try." He looked into Kate's already teary eyes and smiled. "Kate, when I sat down to write my vows I thought about the fact that I have enough material about how much I love you to fill a library of books. I knew it would be difficult to keep this relatively short. Let's be honest though, it's me and I could go on about you forever. You are the most remarkable, maddening, challenging, frustrating person I have ever met, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I know I was difficult in the beginning, but I am thankful each and every day that you came and arrested me. Thank you for giving me that chance. I am without a doubt the luckiest man in the world. You make me a better man, and I don't know where I would be without you. I'm glad I won't ever have to find out. I can't promise to stop annoying you, but I can promise you that I will love you more each and every day for the rest of my life. Before you, I never understood love. I thought I did, but you taught me just how it could be to really, truly love someone with your whole heart, with your whole being. My love for you continues to grow every day. You are constantly full of surprises and are without a doubt the magic in my life. You're my soulmate, the love of my life and my reason for being. I promise to strive each and every day to be the man you deserve. I love you, always."

Tears were streaming down Kate's face when Rick stopped speaking. He wiped them away with his thumb and kissed her cheek.

"I love you. That was perfect," she told him.

"I love you too," Rick smiled.

The couple exchanged rings and "I Do's" as Rick's father finished the rest of the ceremony.

"You may kiss your bride," Hunt told Rick.

He didn't need telling twice. Rick swept Kate up and into a passionate kiss. When they finally broke apart, Hunt looked at their friends and family and said, "Ladies and gentleman, I'd like to be the first to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle!"

Rick and Kate grinned at each other. They ran down the aisle and through the bubbles that their family and friends were blowing on them, down the stairs outside and into their limo, ready to take their first ride as husband and wife.

_I hope the wedding was everything you hoped it would be! The reception will be coming, I promise – it will probably be at least two chapters…I had to break it up somewhere! Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	30. Chapter 30

_Note: Wow, you guys have literally brought tears to my eyes with your kind words! I've said it once and I'll say it again – Castle fans truly are the best. I've made some wonderful friends through my love of this show, and that's pretty amazing. I never expected all of this! Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews, enjoy the reception!_

**It would make me super happy, but unfortunately I don't own Castle. **

Chapter 30.

"Hi, Mrs. Castle," Rick said with a grin as he pulled Kate to him in the back of the limo.

She beamed up at him. "Hi, Mr. Castle. Can you believe we're finally married?" Kate let out a giggle. She was Rick Castle's wife!

"It's about damn time," he told her as he leaned in for a kiss.

Before they knew it the kiss deepened. The elation they felt at finally becoming a married couple was almost too much for them to control. Rick pulled Kate down on top of him and began to pepper kisses down her neck. She let out a soft moan as he found her pulse point.

"I'm kissing a married woman," Rick said with a glint in his eye.

Kate laughed and kissed him again. "I'm kissing my husband." They were incredibly cheesy and they knew it, but they didn't care.

The driver rolled down the partition just a bit and cleared his throat. "Mr. Castle, we're here."

Kate looked out the window. They weren't at the Old Haunt; they were at the 12th Precinct. "What are we doing here," she asked as she sat up.

"Come on," Rick told her with a twinkle in his eye as he grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

When the elevator reached the homicide department, Anton was waiting for them. Kate arched an eyebrow in question.

"I talked to Captain Gates. She's going to let us take a few pictures here. This is where our story began, so I thought it was only fitting we bring things full circle on our wedding day," Rick told her as he searched her face. His own fell at her lack of reaction, and when she noticed this, Kate quickly smiled.

"You really think of everything, you know that?" Her husband was always full of surprises. She didn't think she'd ever get used to the surprises or the joy she felt when thinking of him as her husband.

"So, you like the idea?"

"I love it," she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Alright Anton, where do you want us?"

Just as Anton was about to direct them, a voice rang out from across the room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Castle," Gates said sternly as she walked over.

"What are you doing here?" Rick asked her. "You're supposed to be at the Old Haunt."

"I had some business to attend to first. I wanted to offer my congratulations," she told them with a smile. "I'd also like to speak to you a moment."

Anton looked over at Rick who nodded, and then stepped away to give the three some privacy.

Gates looked back and forth between Rick and Kate. "I know you weren't able to get your job back due to the hiring freeze, but I was able to pull some strings. As a wedding present of sorts, I want to offer you your position back, if you'll take it."

Rick glanced over at Kate who looked about as dumbfounded as he felt.

"I-uh," Kate began as she shot a panicked look to her husband. He reached over and squeezed her hand in an attempt to help stabilize her.

Gates misinterpreted this pause in Kate's reaction and quickly spoke up. "Of course Mr. Castle will be able to return as your partner as well. As long as you two are able to maintain your professionalism, I don't think this will be a problem."

Rick's hand was still entwined with Kate's. She looked up at the Captain and took a deep breath. "Captain, thank you. Really, I'm so glad you're giving me the opportunity to come back. This is just, so fast. Today is such a whirlwind and I don't know that I feel comfortable commiting just yet. Would it be okay if we think about it and let you know when we get back from our honeymoon?"

Gates looked shocked. This was clearly not the reaction she was expecting, but she quickly recovered by plastering a smile on her face. "Yes, of course. I didn't mean to add any unnecessary stress to you today, I just thought it would be a nice surprise."

"Oh, it is. It really is," Kate assured her. "It's just a lot to take in."

"Very well," Gates nodded. "I will let you two get to your pictures and I will see you over at the Old Haunt. Congratulations again." With that, the Captain turned on her heel and left.

"Wow," Kate said quietly. "I did not see that coming."

"Me either," Rick added. "What do you think you want to do?"

She looked at him a moment and he noticed her free hand rested on her still invisible bump. "It's just a whole different ball game when there are kids involved."

Rick nodded. "You know I'll support you with whatever you decide, right?"

Kate smiled. "I know you will. Thank you."

"Always." He paused a moment before he continued. "We can wait and think about this later if you want. What do you say we get these pictures taken and head over to the reception? I'm sure everyone will be anxiously awaiting our arrival."

"Sounds good to me."

By the time they finished with their pictures and made it to the Old Haunt, the party was in full swing. The space was completely transformed from their rehearsal dinner. The booths had somehow been removed and in their place were round tables that were beautifully decorated. There was a large vase in the center of each table that was filled with the same flowers as the ceremony and bridal bouquets. The mix of fall colors was perfect against the crisp white tablecloths and candles with their black ribbons. The chairs were adorned with black ribbons that had a jewel in the center that was quite similar to the one on the candles.

The string quartet was playing in the background, and there were a couple of kids swaying to the music on the dancefloor. The cake stood atop a table near the front of the room. There were a few flowers scattered around the base. It was a flawless white with the tiny black swirls sprinkled over the four tiers. The top tier held the intricate RCK monogram. It was stunning.

As they walked further into the room, Rick pulled on Kate's hand and pointed to the photobooth that was set up in the corner. Alexis and Martha were outfitted in handcuffs and a burglar mask and were posing for the camera quite enthusiastically. The couple approached them and laughed as Alexis held up her hands in surrender as Martha pointed a squirt gun at her.

"Having fun?" Rick asked.

Martha and Alexis turned to them and grinned. "This was a great idea, everyone's having so much fun!" Alexis told them as she collected the photo strip that printed out. She divided the two photos and stuck one in the guest book that was sitting on a stand next to the booth.

"Good," Kate smiled.

"So how does it feel to be married?" Martha asked with a wink.

The couple beamed at each other. "Perfect," they answered together. This caused them to dissolve in a fit of giggles.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Some things will never change." She pulled them in for a hug. "And I'm glad. You guys want a turn?"

Rick shook his head. "We'll find some time for that later. We should probably mingle a bit now." He led Kate away and quickly changed his course when he noticed Aunt Muriel coming towards them.

"Thank you," Kate whispered to him, grateful that they were able to avoid her for the time being.

"There you two are," Lanie told them as she walked over. "They want to officially introduce you and do your first dance now if that's okay with you."

"We'd love to," Rick told her as he leaned in to kiss his wife.

Lanie nodded to Esposito who picked up the microphone.

"Can I get everyone's attention please?" He asked as he looked around the room. It took a moment, but everyone quieted down and turned their attention towards the dance floor. "I'd like to introduce, Mr. and Mrs. Rick Castle!"

Rick grabbed Kate's hand and made a show of running towards the dance floor. He bowed when he got there then took Kate's hand, twirled her around and she curtsied, much to her husband's delight. The crowd cheered and they laughed. Rick twirled Kate around once more before he pulled her to him and they started to sway to the music.

Kate rested her head on Rick's shoulder and listened to the lyrics, as the words seemed to surround them_. I set out on a narrow way many years ago. Hoping I would find true love along the broken road. But I got lost a time or two, wiped my brow and kept pushing through. I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you._

Rick whispered in her ear, "I'm so glad that even though we may have been lost before, we found our way to each other."

She tipped her head so she was able to look into his glistening eyes. "Me too. I've never been happier in my life, Rick. Thank you for being you."

He grinned down at her. "Oh no, my wife," Rick began. Kate knew she'd never get tired of hearing him refer to her as his wife. "Thank you for being the remarkable woman who has chosen to spend the rest of her life with me. I love you."

"I love you too," she matched his grin and placed her head back on his shoulder. Rick kissed the top of her head.

They listened to the lyrics once again, both lost in happiness, completely unaware of the people who watched them move around the dance floor.

_Every long lost dream led me to where you are. Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars. Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms. This much I know is true, that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you._

They didn't notice Paul their videographer as he kneeled to film them from a new angle. They didn't notice Anton as he snapped photos from every side. They didn't notice the teary eyes all over the room. They didn't even notice when the music stopped. All they noticed was each other. Kate had tipped her head up again to look into her husbands face. They were lost in each other's eyes.

It wasn't until the father-daughter dance was announced that they realized they weren't alone. Jim made his way across the dancefloor. "I promise I'll give her back soon," he told Rick with a smile.

"Thank you," Rick said.

"You look happy, Katie Bug," Jim told his daughter as the intro music began.

"I am, Dad," she smiled up at him and allowed him to lead her around the dance floor.

_Look at the two of you dancing that way, lost in the moment and each other's face. So much in love you're alone in this place, like there's nobody else in the world. I was enough for her not long ago, I was her number one, she told me so. And she still means the world to me just so you know, so be careful when you hold my girl. Time changes everything life must go on. And I'm not gonna stand in your way. But I loved her first and I held her first, and a place in my heart will always be hers. From the first breath she breathed, when she first smiled at me, I knew that the love of a father runs deep, and I prayed that she'd find you someday. But it's still hard to give her away, I loved her first. _

Out of the corner of her eye Kate noticed Rick and Alexis had joined them on the dance floor. It had been her idea to include Alexis in this dance as well. It was important to her that their whole family felt special today. Alexis was their daughter and she deserved a dance with her father on his wedding day.

_How could that beautiful woman with you be the same freckle face kid that I knew, the one that I read all those fairy tales to and I tucked into bed all those nights? And I knew the first time I saw you with her, it was only a matter of time._

As the chorus repeated, Jim looked at his daughter. "I knew it from the beginning, Katie, even if you didn't want to admit it."

"I think everyone knew," Kate laughed quietly. "I'm just glad I finally opened my eyes."

"Me too. He's a good man," Jim began as he glanced over at Rick and Alexis who were laughing as they twirled around. "And a good father."

Kate followed her father's gaze and her thoughts went to the twins. "He really is."

_From the first breath she breathed, when she first smiled at me, I knew the love of a father runs deep. Someday you might know what I'm going through, when a miracle smiles up at you. I loved her first._

There wasn't a dry eye in the Old Haunt when the song ended.

"I love you, Dad," Kate said as she kissed her father on the cheek.

"I love you too, Katie Bug," Jim replied as Rick made his way over to them. "She's all yours, Rick. Welcome to the family."

Rick hugged his father in law. "Thank you, Jim."

Jim made his way over to ask Martha to dance and Rick pulled Kate to him again. They swayed to the music for a few minutes before Rick stopped moving. Kate looked up at him in question, and he just smiled.

"Look! Photobooth's free!" He exclaimed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the dance floor.

She shook her head and laughed. He looked so excited.

Rick stopped in front of the box of props and began to sift through them. "What do you think we should do?" he asked her.

Kate looked down and saw a feathered boa and elbow length black gloves. "Old Hollywood actress turned murderer?" She offers. "I'll let you play cop."

Rick looked over at her, shocked. "I never get to be the cop!"

She winked at him. "There's a first time for everything." Kate rummaged around and found the squirt gun, and a fake badge. She even managed to find a hat that was went with an old uniform. Kate passed the copwear to her husband and grabbed the boa, gloves and found a large pearl bracelet to wear over them.

Once they are all decked out, the couple posed in front of the camera. They posed with Kate attempting to strangle Rick with the boa. They posed with Rick arresting Kate. They forgot about posing and kissed. They were silly, they were serious, and it wasn't until they kissed on their third round of pictures that Alexis popped her head in to stick her tongue out in the background. They didn't even notice.

"Hey guys, there's a line now," Alexis teased.

The couple broke apart. "Sorry," Rick said, but he didn't look sorry at all.

Alexis rolled her eyes in a very Kate-like manner and left. They made their way out of the booth and looked at all of their pictures.

"Alexis photobombed us," Kate laughed when she saw the picture of them kissing with their daughter in the background. "She's just like her dad."

Rick beamed. "I've taught her well."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"You've taught her well too," Rick laughed. "She rolls her eyes now just like you do."

She grinned. "Happy to contribute something."

Martha made her way over to them. "Could I talk to the two of you for a moment?" she asked.

They nodded and followed her to a quiet corner, concern etched on both of their faces.

"Is everything okay?" Rick asked.

Martha nodded. "I didn't want to say anything in front of Alexis earlier, but Richard, did you know your father was going to be performing the ceremony?"

Rick tensed and Kate squeezed his hand. He took a deep breath before he answered. "We found out at the rehearsal. I never expected him to come, let alone perform the ceremony. But he showed up. He wanted to be a part of something in my life."

Martha looked back and forth between the two and for once seemed to be at a loss for words.

Kate squeezed Rick's hand again. "Martha, he asked us not to say anything. He had to be in and out quickly so people wouldn't know he was here. We didn't want to keep this from you, but - "

Martha cut her off. "I'm not mad, Katherine. A little warning would have been nice, but I understand why you couldn't tell me. It caught me off guard, that's all. I haven't seen Jackson since before Richard was born. He's hardly changed," she finished wistfully.

"Mother, if you don't mind me asking," Rick began. "If you knew who he was, why didn't you say anything?"

His mother looked at him. "Richard. It's your wedding day. I didn't want to steal the attention from you at the ceremony. I figured I would try to talk to Jackson here, but as I haven't seen him, I'm assuming he's gone already."

Rick nodded. "Thank you, Mother. I know that it must have been difficult to see him after all this time and be unable to talk to him. It means a lot that you left it alone."

Martha stepped forward and hugged Rick and Kate together. "The things you do for the people you love," she said dramatically as she winked.

"We love you too, Martha," Kate told her mother in law.

"I don't want to keep you from your guests any longer," Martha said. "Mingle, mingle!" With that, she left them alone.

"That could have been worse," Rick told Kate honestly.

She nodded and kissed him. "She's a good mom."

"Yeah she is, quirks and all," Rick chuckled.

"So, Mr. Castle, shall we mingle?"

"Why yes, Mrs. Castle, I do believe we shall."

_And so ends part one of the reception…Part two should be up soon! I also do not own any of the lyrics...Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	31. Chapter 31

_Note: First of all, sorry for the delay – this weekend has been crazy! I can't tell you guys enough how much your reviews mean to me. For all of you who have followed from the beginning and commented every chapter, I always look forward to seeing what you think. To those who have recently started commenting, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Everyone's reviews have given me the encouragement I needed to keep writing and have made me love it even more than I already did. You guys are awesome! Ready, set, reception part 2!_

**I do not own Castle.**

Chapter 31.

Rick and Kate made their way across the room, and were pulled aside by various friends and family members. Then, the inevitable happened. Aunt Muriel cornered them when they were talking to Esposito and Ryan, and she was drunk.

"Richard! Katherine! What a beautiful wedding," she slurred as she swayed on the spot and fell into Esposito. He quickly grabbed her around the waist to steady her. "Thank you, young man. No need to be so handsy," Aunt Muriel said sternly as she winked at Kate. "Look I've still got it! The men, they're crazy about me." The woman dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"Aunt Muriel, why don't we go get you some water," Rick told her as he attempted to steer her away from the group. She was surprisingly strong for an older woman and stood her ground.

"I don't need water, Richard. Your wife might though. Water is good for the baby. I'd love another vodka tonic." She snapped her fingers expectantly, but no one moved.

Kate shot a look at Ryan and Esposito who were staring at her with confused expressions on their faces.

"Baby?" Esposito asked with wide eyes. Ryan turned his attention to Rick who mouthed, "She's crazy!" and shrugged.

Kate nodded in agreement.

Aunt Muriel snapped her attention over to Kate. "My dear, you aren't drinking are you? It's not wise to drink when you're pregnant." She swayed again and was caught by Rick this time.

"Aunt Muriel, I think I see the a server over there, why don't we go get you a drink," Rick told her as he tried yet again to move her away from the group before she decided to scream out to the room that Kate was pregnant.

Luckily Alexis seemed to have overheard the conversation. She quickly walked toward them with a glass.

"Hey, Aunt Muriel, I have your drink for you!" she told her.

Rick looked over at his daughter and frantically shook his head side to side, as he mouthed "no more alcohol!"

When Muriel's attention was elsewhere Alexis smiled and mouthed back, "It's water."

"Thank you dear, thank you!" Muriel smiled as she made her way over to Alexis. She took a sip and frowned. "This is weak. Let's go talk to the bartender." She grabbed ahold of Alexis' arm and led her away.

Kate shot her stepdaughter a grateful smile and said, "Thanks Lex," for her ears only.

Alexis squeezed Kate's hand as she passed and Kate breathed a sigh of relief.

"Crazy old lady, huh?" Rick laughed as he looked at the boys.

They shared a skeptical look and Ryan said, "Yeah, man."

Martha chose that moment to bustle over. "You need to take your seats for the toasts!" She shoed everyone towards their table – Rick and Kate moved to the center, and Lanie, Esposito, Ryan, and Alexis moved to either side.

Rick and Kate smiled at one another and held hands as Lanie stood up to speak. Once the room settled down, Lanie lifted her glass.

"I know I'm not the first person to say it's about time these two finally got married," Lanie paused here and looked at her friends who blushed. "We all knew that this man was crazy about my girl here, and I, for one am so glad she opened her eyes and saw what was right in front of her." Kate mouthed, "me too," with a smile and Lanie nodded. "They have proven time and time again that a relationship takes work, but if you love someone, I mean really love someone, then you can make it through anything - "

"Even bombs, freezers, and poisonous gas," Rick interrupted and earned a laugh from the rest of the room.

"Yes, Castle, even bombs, freezers, poisonous gas, and so much more. You've never given up on each other. That's true love. Congratulations to the happy couple, I love you guys!" Lanie raised her glass and took a sip. Rick poured glasses from the special champagne bottle for himself and Kate. They raised their glasses to Lanie and drank, then shared a kiss, which earned them a round of applause.

"Alright, alright, our turn," Esposito said as he and Ryan stood up. "As co-best men, we decided we would do this together. Rick and Kate laughed. "When mom and dad get married, it's pretty exciting," he continued.

"We've watched them bicker and fight. We've watched them laugh and cry. We've seen them at their best and worst," Ryan added.

"We never really thought this day would come," Esposito said seriously. "Our girl here was different before Castle busted his way into the 12th. She did her work and was damn good at it, but she never had any fun. You could tell she wasn't really happy."

"But then when Castle showed up, he drove her crazy. We saw a whole new side to Beckett," Ryan began.

"Yeah, the always pissed off side," Esposito interrupted with a laugh. The rest of the room joined in.

Ryan nodded before he continued. "She tried to make everyone believe she was pissed off, but in reality, we knew better. We saw the look in her eye, and eventually they started to sicken us with the way they would finish each other's sentences and communicate during cases."

"They became more than partners on the job. They became partners in life. And while it may have taken them time to get to this place, they beat all the odds and we couldn't be happier for them," Esposito said.

"We love you guys," they finished together, which earned a roar of laughter from the room.

Kate wiped the tears from her eyes and leaned over to give them each a hug. "Thanks guys, that was great."

Rick took his turn and pulled both of the boys into a great big hug as well. "We love you guys too. Thanks for always being there for us."

Ryan and Esposito nodded then took their seats, and Alexis stood for her turn.

She looked between Kate and Rick and smiled. "I can honestly say that I have never seen my dad happier. As hard as it is for everyone to believe, Kate has helped my dad grow up," she paused for the laughter and added, "Well, at least a little. We still have our laser tag fights, and eat ice cream for dinner – I don't see that changing any time soon. But, there's a twinkle in his eye now. It's been there ever since Kate arrested him all those years ago. As amazing as my dad has always been, you've changed him for the better. But that's not all you've done. Thank you for being there for me, for treating me like a daughter, and a friend. I'm so lucky that you are in my life. Welcome to the family, Mom. I love you both." Alexis looked over at Kate and saw the tears streaming down her face and noticed her dad had tears in his eyes too.

Kate stood up and enveloped her stepdaughter in a hug. "Thank you, Alexis. That means the world to me. I love you too."

When the pair finally separated, Rick moved over to his daughter and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks Pumpkin, that was beautiful."

"I meant every word of it. I love you both so much," she grinned at her dad and sat back down.

"Before everyone enjoys their meals," Rick began as he continued to stand with his wife. "I just want to thank everyone for being a part of our special day." He put his arm around Kate and pulled her close to him. "As so many of you have pointed out, it has taken a long time for us to get here. We wouldn't be here today without the love and support of everyone in this room. I am lucky enough to have the best wife, family, and friends out there. I love you, Kate," he said as he kissed her and raised his glass.

Kate picked her own glass up again and clinked it with Rick's. He winked at her over their shared secret and they both took a sip of their sparkling cider.

"Kiss! Kiss!" Esposito shouted with a mischievous grin as he tapped his knife on his champagne flute.

The couple laughed as everyone else in the room followed suit. The clinking of glasses became more persistent and Rick turned to Kate who shrugged with a huge smile on her face. Before she knows what's happening, Rick has twirled Kate around and dipped her into an extremely dramatic kiss. She allowed the kiss to deepen, and quickly forgot that they were in a room full of people. Rick seemed to have forgotten as well. It wasn't until Ryan cleared his throat loudly by their side that they finally pulled apart.

"I should have known better," Esposito said with a laugh.

Rick looked at Kate who leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I don't know if I can move after that. My legs feel all weak." She giggled at how ridiculous she sounded.

"It must be all that champagne," Rick told her as he winked. He pulled out the chair and helped her sit. He pressed a kiss to the top of his wife's head before he sat down next to her.

Kate shook her head. "I think I'm drunk on love." She laughed at the shocked look on his face. "See! I can be corny too, when I want to be."

"Why Mrs. Castle, I didn't know you had it in you."

"I learned from the best," she teased.

At that moment, the waiter's approached the head table with their meals. Rick and Kate were both presented with filet mignon with a side of asparagus and mashed potatoes. Alexis and Lanie had gone with the chicken with steamed broccoli and cheesy potatoes, while the boys had followed Rick and Kate and chosen steak.

"Hey bro, this is great," Esposito said as he took a bite of his filet mignon.

Ryan nodded in agreement. His mouth was too full to speak.

"How's the chicken, Lex?" Kate asked as she took another sip of her champagne/cider.

"Awesome," Alexis grinned.

Captain Gates chose that moment to approach the head table. Esposito and Ryan eyed each other with apprehension. They were still wary of seeing their Captain outside of the precinct.

"That was a wonderful meal, thank you both so much for having me. We had a body drop, and with two of my detectives tied up here, I need to say my goodbyes. I really hope you two will consider my offer. You know where to find me when you get back from your honeymoon."

"Thank you, Sir," Kate told her. "We will let you know."

"And thank you for taking the time to come today. We know you're extremely busy," Rick added.

Gates nodded with a smile and turned to leave.

When she was out of earshot, Esposito and Ryan turned to the couple and looked at them questioningly.

"What was that about?" Ryan asked.

Rick and Kate looked at each other for a moment before Kate spoke. "Gates came up to us when we took our pictures at the precinct today. She offered me my job back."

"Chica, that's awesome!" Esposito exclaimed and Ryan grinned. "You're gonna do it, right?"

"Girl, why didn't you tell me?" Lanie asked. She had been eavesdropping.

"I haven't decided yet," Kate answered honestly. "And Lanie, it all happened so fast, I haven't really gotten my head wrapped around it yet."

"What do you mean you haven't decided?" Ryan asked. "Is it because of Castle? Did Gates say he couldn't come back?"

"No, Gates said I was welcome to come back too," Rick told them. "The offer just came out of nowhere, and we were on our way to the reception and everything, so we told her we needed a little bit of time to think about it. We'll let her know when we get back from the honeymoon."

"We thought you'd jump at the chance to come back," Esposito said. He looked like a sad little puppy. He jutted out his bottom lip. "Don't you miss us?" He was absolutely pitiful.

"Play it up, Javi," Kate laughed and rolled her eyes. "Of course I miss you guys. It's just been a nice break. I didn't want to commit right away. I'll let you guys know the minute I decide, okay? Now, can we please go back to enjoying ourselves?"

The guys shrugged and dug back into their steaks but Lanie narrowed her eyes at her friend. "What?" Kate asked innocently.

"Nothing," Lanie answered and with one last look went back to her food.

Kate shot Rick a look of relief and he squeezed her hand under the table. It was definitely harder than they had thought to keep the twins a secret.

Once everyone had finished eating they made their way onto the dance floor again. The string quartet took a break and Alexis pulled out their Bluetooth speaker for her iPhone. She had created a playlist in anticipation of this moment. Everyone danced to the YMCA, the cupid shuffle, the cha cha slide, and when the chicken dance came on, Kate laughed as her husband shook his ass harder than anyone else in the room. Halfway through the song, Rick got Kate to join him. They were laughing so hard that they never even noticed Paul the videographer filming the whole thing.

When the couple was sufficiently pink-faced and winded, they decided it was time to take a breather so they could cut the cake. The dance floor emptied and the guests gathered around the cake table to watch them cut the cake and feed it to one another. After they posed for pictures, the top tier was removed so Rick and Kate could freeze it and have it on their one-year anniversary.

As they grabbed the knife to cut the cake together, Kate smiled at her husband and said, "Don't you dare do anything but put that in my mouth."

"My dear wife, you have such a way with words," Rick teased. "Always so inappropriate."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Only because my husband's mind is always in the gutter."

He grinned at her. They each took a piece of cake, and eyed each other before pushing it into the other one's face. They laughed. Rick leaned forward and kissed the cake off of Kate's nose. "Mm, I do love red velvet," he told her.

She laughed and licked frosting off of her thumb. When Rick was distracted cutting another piece of cake, she wiped the rest off of her thumb onto his cheek before she kissed it off. "The icing tastes better this way," she winked.

"Woman, you're going to be the death of me," Rick told her quietly as his eyes darkened in arousal.

His wife just grinned at him and watched as the waiters passed out the cake pieces to their guests.

"What do you say you toss the bouquet and we get out of here?" Rick asked. "That should leave us plenty of time to make our flight."

"Our flight where?" Kate questioned innocently.

"I'll tell you on our way to the airport," he told her.

"Fine," she pouted.

Rick smirked. "Hey, I'm the King of Pouting. It won't work on me."

"It was worth a shot," Kate laughed, and then went to retrieve her bouquet.

When all the unmarried women were scattered over the dance floor, Kate held the flowers in front of her and swung them back, high over the crowd and into the surprised hands of Alexis who shot her dad a panicked look and promptly tossed the bouquet to Lanie next to her.

"It's only fitting," Kate told her friend. "After all, you will be the next person getting married."

Lanie laughed.

"And Alexis is far too young to even be thinking about marriage," Rick added.

"Don't worry, Dad. You still have some time before you need to worry about that."

Rick wiped his brow dramatically in relief. He looked at his watch, "I guess we better say our goodbyes. We've got a plane to catch."

Lanie, Esposito, Ryan and Jenny all gave the couple hugs and well wishes. They told them to have fun on their honeymoon and to try to stay out of trouble.

Rick said, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get in all sorts of trouble," and Kate swatted him across the chest with a smile.

The couple made their way around the Old Haunt. They thanked friends and family for coming and after what seemed like forever, finally made their way back to Jim, Martha and Alexis who were waiting for them by the door.

"Take care of my girl," Jim told Rick as he pulled his son in law in for a hug.

"Always," Rick replied as he patted him on the back.

"I love you Katie Bug."

"I love you too, Dad," Kate said as she hugged her father tightly. "We'll see you when we get back. Maybe we can all have dinner that night?"

Jim nodded and moved aside so Martha could say her goodbyes.

"I think dinner that night sounds wonderful. Darlings, enjoy yourselves!" Martha said with a wave of her arm.

"We'll see you soon, Mother," Rick told her. "Did you get Aunt Muriel in a cab?"

"Yes, of course, the woman had entirely too much to drink tonight. She kept babbling on about Kate being pregnant." Martha rolled her eyes. "We all know she's a little bit crazy, but what can I say? She's like my sister and I love her!"

Rick, Kate and Alexis shared a knowing look that was missed by Martha and Jim.

"Definitely crazy." Rick shook his head and turned his attention to his daughter.

"Be good while we're gone, okay? If you need anything call Grams or Jim or even Lanie, Esposito or Ryan."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'll be fine. You know I can take care of myself. I've been taking care of you for a long time," she teased.

"You wound me daughter," Rick said in mock horror.

"She has a point, you know," Kate added.

"Eh tu, Kate?"

They all laughed.

"Take care of my dad," Alexis told Kate.

"Always," she smiled.

"And you," Alexis turned her attention back to her dad. "Take care of my mom. Keep those smorelettes supplied," she winked.

Rick laughed. "I can handle that!" He paused a moment. "I'll miss you Pumpkin, we'll see you soon." Rick pulled his daughter in for a tight hug. They opened their arms for Kate who joined them with a smile.

"You two better get out of here if you want to make your flight," Alexis told them as she pulled away. "I'll be fine and I'll see you when you get back."

"We love you," Rick and Kate said together as they linked hands and walked towards the door.

"Love you guys too!" Alexis waved them off and turned to enjoy the rest of the party.

The driver opened the door to the limo and Rick followed Kate inside. Once they had settled into their seats, Rick turned to his wife. "Okay, Mrs. Castle, would you like to know where we are going on our honeymoon?"

"Yes!"

Rick made his own drum roll and Kate laughed. "Well, my dear, first we will be boarding a private plane - "

"A private plane? Seriously?" she interrupted.

He grinned. "Seriously. This private plane will be flying us to the small island of Maldives where we will then be transported to our very own private getaway. I have rented Dhoni Island, which is considered to be a beautiful island retreat. We will have our own villa, complete with staff and boats to enjoy at our leisure."

Kate gaped at him. "Our own private island? Rick how did you manage this?"

He shrugged. "I know a guy. Besides, I wanted the best for you."

She leaned forward and kissed him deeply. "You are what's best for me. This was a wonderful surprise. I love you."

"I love you too, Kate. Always."

_Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	32. Chapter 32

_Note: Okay guys here's where I need opinions! I'm picking up with this chapter at the end of the honeymoon. If you want to know about the honeymoon, let me know and I will do another story insert with the "M" rating, if not I will just continue from this point! It's all up to the readers…With that being said, thank you for all of your reviews! You never fail to make me smile. Also, special thanks to _**_BurningxRedxCaskett _**_for posting the last chapter for me when my Internet was on the fritz! Happy Castle Monday!_

**I do not own Castle.**

Chapter 32.

"Are you ready to be home?" Rick asked Kate as their plane descended in New York.

She looked at her husband, bronzed skin glowing with the after effects of their time in the sun. "I am. I loved our time away together, but I missed everyone." Kate leaned into Rick's shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her. "I can't wait to tell everyone about Peanut and Pickle."

Rick smiled and moved his hand to her stomach, where there was now a slight bump. "They should be at Remy's by the time we get there." He looked at his watch. It was a quarter to six and the wheels had just touched down. They rolled down the runway and slowed to a stop as they waited for their turn to taxi to the gate. Rick pulled out his phone and dialed Alexis.

"Hey Pumpkin," he paused as he listened to the other end. Kate watched as his smile grew. "We missed you too! Is everyone ready for Remy's?" Rick listened again. "Oh, they did? Okay, great. We should be able to do that. Thanks! We'll see you soon. Love you, bye." He hung up the phone and Kate looked at him expectantly.

"What did she say?"

"She missed us like crazy. The new place is all set up for us and apparently looks fantastic. She and Mother are picking Jim up and then are heading over to Remy's to meet us. Lanie called her earlier and said that she and the guys want to meet us at the Old Haunt for drinks after dinner. Does that sound okay to you? Will you be too tired?"

Kate thought a moment. "I think that sounds great. They'll probably kill us if they find out we didn't tell them right after we told our families. Might as well get it all over with in one night." She snuggled deeper into Rick's side. "I'm excited to see the new place with all of our things in it. Our new home…"

"Our new home," Rick repeated. "The place where we wil bring our twins. The place where we will raise our family and build our lives together."

Kate smiled and leaned in to kiss her husband.

The aircraft door opened suddenly and their pilot came out to shake their hands. "It's been a pleasure Mr. and Mrs. Castle," he told them as he grabbed his bag and followed them down the stairs.

Kate allowed herself an internal happy dance. Even though the staff on the island had called her Mrs. Castle, she still wasn't quite used to it. She didn't think she'd ever really be used to it, and that was okay with her. This was a feeling she wanted to savor.

A towncar pulled up to the small stairway beside the private plane and the driver stepped out to help with their bags. When Kate went to lift one of the larger suitcases, Rick gave her a look and she stopped.

"No heavy lifting for my wife," he told her and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid," Kate responded.

"I know you're not, but, let me pamper you. Okay? Please?" Rick gave her a pleading look and she caved.

"Okay, okay," she said as she slid into the car. Rick and their driver, Sam, finished loading the rest of the bags and then he sild into the car next to Kate.

"Remy's, Mr. Castle?" Sam asked as he looked in the rearview mirror.

Rick nodded. "Thanks, Sam."

The drive seemed to take forever. Not only was it rush hour traffic, but Rick and Kate were anxious to tell their friends and family their exciting news, so time was passing slowly. Rick noticed Kate's foot tapping and placed his hand on her leg.

"Nervous?" he asked her.

Kate shook her head. "I'm not nervous. I just can't wait to tell everyone. Do you think they'll be mad we didn't tell them sooner?"

"I don't think so. They'll understand why we waited." He entwined their fingers and brought them up for a kiss. "But if they're mad, I'll protect you," he added seriously.

Kate couldn't help it, she laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Kate said. When Rick continued to look at her she laughed again. "I would think I'd be the one to protect you."

Rick stared, open mouthed at his wife. "What are you trying to say?"

She just giggled and gave him a knowing look.

"Okay, I guess you're right. All you have to do is give them your big scary detective look and you'll have them running for the hills."

"I did work pretty hard on that look," Kate told him as the car came to a stop in front of Remy's.

"Ready?" Rick asked as he got out of the car and took Kate's hand to pull her with him.

"Ready."

When they walked in, they saw Jim, Martha and Alexis already seated in their usual table in the back. Alexis hopped up and ran towards them as soon as they were inside. Rick swept his daughter up in a hug and spun her around like he had done when she was little and she giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I missed you Pumpkin," he told her when he finally put her down.

"Missed you too Dad."

"Hey what about me," Kate pouted which caused Alexis to laugh.

"I missed you too Mom," she said as she pulled her stepmom into a bear hug.

"Good, because I missed you!"

"Now that we've established everyone has missed everyone, why don't you three sit down," Martha laughed.

Alexis pulled Rick and Kate's hands and led them the rest of the way to their table. "Are you guys hungry?"

"Starved!" Kate answered while Rick and Alexis laughed knowingly.

"Did Rick forget to feed you on that island?" Jim asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Kate laughed and leaned over to hug her dad. "No, I've just missed these burgers and shakes!"

Their waitress came over and took their orders and they settled down to wait. Rick stretched his arm across Kate's shoulders and looked at his mother and Jim before he turned his attention to Kate. "Should we tell them?"

"Tell us what?" Martha demanded.

Rick and Kate shared a smile before Kate spoke up. "We're pregnant!"

Martha shrieked and Jim beamed. "Really? Katie Bug, that's great news!" Jim said as he clapped Rick on the shoulder.

"A baby! Oh it'll be nice to have a baby around again," Martha said with a grin as she jumped up to hug Kate. Then she turned her attention to Alexis who was quietly smiling beside her parents. "Why aren't you more surprised?"

Alexis blushed.

"You knew?" Martha accused. "You knew and you didn't tell your grandmother! When did you all find out?"

Kate shot a worried look at Rick. "We found out when we were in Vegas. But Alexis guessed when we were back home. We weren't going to tell anyone until we got back from the honeymoon. You three are the only people who know. We're meeting the guys after dinner to tell them." When Martha still didn't speak, Kate continued. "We're really sorry Martha, we just wanted to keep the focus on the wedding."

Martha looked back and forth between the two before her face broke out in a smile again. "Oh darlings, I'm not mad at all. I just expected more of a reaction from my granddaughter! I had to give you a hard time."

When Kate and Rick visibly relaxed, Jim laughed. "Did you two really think we would be mad you wanted to focus on one thing at a time?"

"We hoped not," Rick explained with a shrug. "But you never know."

Jim glanced over at Martha who was still beaming. "I think it's safe to say we're thrilled."

"Well, there is more news," Kate said and the heads turned quickly back to her. She looked to her husband and smiled.

Rick took over from there. "We're having twins." His eyes crinkled with delight and Alexis bounced in her seat as she watched for the reaction from the other two.

"Twins?" Jim asked, apparently in shock.

Kate nodded. "Twins." She smiled shyly at her father.

"My baby is having babies," he said with a grin. "This is wonderful news! I'm going to be a Papa!" Jim looked positively giddy.

"Twins!" Martha practically sang. "Twice the love, twice the joy, twice the dirty diapers," she added with a wink at her son.

He laughed. "Yes, Mother, we know. But for now, we're going to focus on the twice the love aspect of things. We are incredibly excited and can't wait for them to be here." Rick leaned over and kissed Kate on the nose. She returned his kiss and snuggled into his side.

"Have you thought about names? You know, Martha is a lovely name," she suggested.

Rick rolled his eyes.

"Jim's a great name too," Kate's father added.

Kate groaned. "Not you too, Dad!"

Martha and Jim laughed.

"We do actually have a couple of names picked out. One for a boy and one for a girl," Rick told them.

"Do tell," Martha said. "I take it Martha and Jim aren't at the top of your list," she teased.

Kate shook her head. "Sorry guys. We are actually thinking for a boy Alexander Mark Castle."

"And for a girl," Rick continued. "We are thinking Margret Johanna Castle."

Jim smiled. "Your mother would love that Katie. I think those names are absolutely perfect."

"I agree. They come in a close second to Martha and Jim," Martha added.

Alexis laughed. "Oh Grams. You just have to give them a hard time, don't you?"

"It's been awhile since we've seen them. Of course I have to be a little difficult."

"Of course," Rick agreed.

Their food came and Rick and Kate recounted some of their honeymoon stories (obviously not all were appropriate to share with their daughter and parents). They told tales of scuba diving – Rick met a sea turtle that he had named Crush after the turtle in Finding Nemo, tales of their wonderful food, tales of swimming under a beautiful waterfall, and of course their favorite, the tale of the time they got lost on their hike through the island. Rick had been convinced they weren't going to find their way back to their villa so he had insisted on starting a fire and collecting coconuts and berries. It had only been a few hours when they stumbled across the villas back entrance when they had been looking for things they could eat. They had gone in one giant circle and not even realized it. This story of course resulted in a round of laughter from the table.

"Hey! I was trying to provide food and warmth for my wife and unborn children," Rick said defensively.

"Because the 80 degree weather wasn't warmth enough babe," Kate said as she nudged him playfully with her elbow.

Rick scowled.

"Hey Dad, I'm proud of you. You must have learned those skills from my Girl Scouts." The father and daughter pair stuck their tongues out at one another at the same time and everyone else laughed.

It was the perfect welcome home dinner. When everyone had finished and Rick had paid the bill, he helped Kate up and said goodbye to their parents and daughter.

"I'll see you guys at home later," Alexis told them. "I want to see how you like everything."

Kate hugged her and Rick nodded. "We'll see you later Pumpkin."

Alexis took off and they were left with Martha and Jim. "Congratulations," Jim said. "These kids are going to be damn lucky to have you two as parents."

Kate flushed and Rick beamed. "Thanks Jim," he said.

"Please, call me Dad." Rick stared at him. He had never called anyone dad before. Even when he met Hunt, he still thought of him as the CIA agent. It meant the world to him that Jim thought of him as his son. When he didn't answer, Jim opened his mouth again to apologize for overstepping but Rick interrupted.

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me. Really." He pulled his father in law into a hug and Kate's eyes went misty.

"See you later, Katie Bug. Love you both." Jim held open the door for Martha who blew kisses to the newly married couple and waved goodbye dramatically.

"We love you," Kate called as the door shut behind their parents. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face her husband. "One group down, one to go."

"Ready for round two?" Rick asked as he held the door open and led his wife to the towncar that was waiting for them.

"Ready," she smiled.

Kate pulled out her phone when they were in the car to text Lanie. **On our way. See you soon.**

She immediately received a text back. **It's about damn time. We're here waiting for you.**

Kate laughed and showed her phone to Rick. "They're ready for us. We need to tell them what we decided about work too."

He nodded. "You think they'll be okay with it?"

"I think so. We're a family. They'll support us no matter what. Besides, they are going to be so excited about Peanut and Pickle."

"True. How long before you think Lanie and Esposito will have kids?"

Kate laughed. "I'm not sure. I think Espo's terrified of being a father but he'll be great. He's always been good with Alexis and I've seen him with kids on cases, and he loves them. He just has to put out the whole tough guy persona."

"That he does," Rick agreed. "But he'll turn into a big puddle of mush the minute he lays eyes on our little ones. He'll be putty in their tiny hands and I bet you anything it will be Esposito that convinces Lanie they're ready."

"You think?" she asked. "Hm. I might be willing to take that bet."

"We'll discuss terms later. We're here," Rick said as they pulled up in front of the Old Haunt. He took her hand. "Let's do this."

_Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


	33. Chapter 33

_Note: You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for all of your kind words! I think the general consensus is that you guys want a honeymoon scene. It will be coming as a one-shot, and I'll be sure to let you know when it's posted. Thank you all for continuing to make me smile with each and every review! Can I just take a moment to freak out about this week's Castle? That ending! Wow! I can't wait until next week! Anyway, back to the story!_

**Sadly I do not own Castle. **

Chapter 33.

Rick and Kate walked into the Old Haunt, hands entwined. Ryan, Jenny, Esposito and Lanie were all sitting at a table near the back and by the looks of their empty glasses on the table were already on their second round. Esposito waved when he saw them walk in, and Lanie turned around to smile at her friends.

"Hey girl, how's it going?" Lanie asked with a twinkle in her eye as her best friend sat next to her.

"Great," Kate grinned.

"Castle, bro, you gonna sit down?" Esposito asked.

"I thought I'd see if anyone needed anything while I go grab drinks. I'm going to get a bottle of champagne for the table."

"Champagne?" Ryan asked. "Are we celebrating something?"

"Good company," Rick winked as he turned to make his way over to the bar.

"You look great," Jenny told Kate. "You're glowing! All that sun must have done wonders for you."

Kate blushed. "Thanks! We definitely enjoyed our time on the beach."

Rick made his way over to the table with a couple of bottles of champagne. His wife shot him a look, but relaxed when she saw it was the label from their wedding. This was going to be perfect.

Ryan caught Kate's look at the bottle and paused. "Hey, isn't that the champagne you toasted with at the wedding?" The rest of the table turned to look too.

Rick nodded. "I ordered an extra case. I figured this would be as good a time as any to share." He popped the cork out and poured glasses for everyone, with a glimmer in his eye. Kate had to stifle a giggle.

They all raised their glasses and Rick spoke. "To our friends who've become family, we don't know what we would do without you. Cheers." Six glasses went to the middle of the table and clinked together before everyone took a sip of their "champagne."

Kate glanced around at the confused faces. It was Esposito that spoke first. "Hey, guys, I hate to say it, but this doesn't taste like champagne. I think you got ripped off."

Rick chuckled and winked at Kate.

"What's going on?" Ryan demanded.

When Kate giggled, Lanie looked pointedly at her friend. "Spill."

The newly married couple exchanged a look. "It's not champagne," Rick began. Ryan and Esposito raised their eyebrows. "It's sparkling cider," he continued. "We didn't want anyone to get suspicious at the wedding, so I had these bottles made."

Realization dawned on Ryan, Jenny and Lanie who seemed to be on the edge of their seats as they waited for Rick and Kate to actually say the words.

Esposito looked at them, confused. "Why would you want sparkling cider instead of champagne?" Lanie reached over and smacked him in the chest. "Ow! What was that for?"

Kate laughed and decided it was time to make the announcement. She reached over and grabbed Rick's hand and he gave hers a reassuring squeeze.

"Because, Espo," she paused dramatically and enjoyed the exhasperated look he gave her. "I'm pregnant!"

The shriek from Lanie was almost deafening.

"Aaaaaand we're deaf," Rick teased as he touched a finger to his ear.

"I knew it!" Lanie shouted triumphantly. "I knew it!"

"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Esposito demanded.

Kate laughed. "You knew? Why didn't you say anything?"

Lanie eyed her fiancé. "I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't be able to keep your mouth shut." She turned her attention back to her best friend. "I didn't say anything because I figured you'd tell me when you were ready."

Kate gives her a look. The look that says, "oh really? I don't believe you."

Lanie laughs. "Okay, I was planning on bringing it up tonight. I couldn't hold it in anymore."

"I'm not going to lie, I was kinda suspicious myself," Ryan piped in.

"Bro? You thought she was pregnant and you didn't tell me?" Esposito pouted. He narrowed his eyes at Jenny. "What about you? Did you have a _feeling_ too?"

Jenny blushed and seemed to think it would be wise to keep her mouth shut. Esposito shook his head. "I can't believe I didn't figure it out. First, I missed that you were dating, and now I missed that you're having a baby."

"Well, there is one thing that might make you feel better," Rick said. When Esposito arched his eyebrows in question, he continued. "There's one more thing that I can pretty much guarantee no one knows yet." He nodded to Kate who grinned.

"We're having twins!" she beamed at the table.

For the second time, Lanie's shriek rang out over the noise of the bar and several heads turned their direction. "Twins?" she squealed.

Esposito forgot about his pouting. "That's great! Oh man, two babies. I'm going to love watching you two attempt to handle this."

Rick laughed. "We're looking forward to it too." Kate leaned over and rested her head on her husband's shoulder.

"Congratulations guys," Ryan told them with a smile. "This is great news, I'm so excited!"

Jenny nodded next to him. "You're going to love pregnancy, Kate. If you have any questions, any at all, please feel free to ask. Have you had any strange cravings? I craved peanut butter and pickle sandwiches every day for two months." She shuddered at the thought now.

Kate giggled. "My favorite thing lately is a Rick specialty."

"Chica, we don't need to know those things," Esposito interrupted.

She rolled her eyes. "Not that," she paused. "Well, obviously that." Esposito and Ryan groaned while Lanie and Jenny laughed. "My favorite thing to eat is a smorelette."

"A what now?" Lanie asked, her nose turned up in disgust.

"A smorelette," Kate told her friend. "Rick created it awhile ago. I thought it was disgusting back then - I wouldn't even try it. But now, it's all I want."

"What exactly is a smorelette?" Jenny asked, but by her face you could tell she didn't know if she wanted to know the answer to her question.

"I'll take this one," Rick said with a cheeky grin. "It's an omelette. With marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker," he finished proudly.

Kate laughed at the expressions on her friends' faces. Ryan choked on his sparkling cider and Esposito stared at the two of them, apparently speechless.

"Hey, who am I to judge?" Jenny chuckled. "What can I say, pregnancy makes you crave the strangest things."

"Hey!" Rick exclaimed. "It's not strange!"

Lanie narrowed her eyes at him. "Castle. You put marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers in with eggs. That's pretty damn strange."

He pouted and Kate patted him on the cheek. "It may be strange, but it's delicious. My husband's a genius."

Rick grinned over at her. "Thanks, babe."

Esposito rolled his eyes. "So. Back to the beginning. When did you guys find out?"

"Vegas," Kate told them. "Do you remember when I acted like a giant psycho when that fan was all over Rick?" She waited until the rest of her friends nodded before she continued. "Well, we found out that night. I guess my hormones were going a little crazy that night – not that I'm making excuses for my behavior."

"It all makes sense now," Ryan said with a smile. "Everything's adding up."

Jenny smirked. "I knew it wasn't food poisoning in Vegas! I had my suspicions then, but I didn't think you even realized it."

"We bought a test that night," Kate explained. "But we decided we wanted to wait until after the wedding to tell everyone."

"We found out it was twins a few days before the wedding," Rick added. "We went in to check on some stomach pains and the doctor mentioned two heart beats. He really surprised us with that one."

Everyone laughed. "I'll bet you were shocked, bro. But really. You guys look so happy," Ryan told his friends.

It was the truth. Kate wasn't the only one glowing, Rick was too. He watched his wife out of the corner of his eye as the conversation continued, a boyish grin on his face the entire time. Kate would return his glances and both of their faces would light up at their eye contact. It was a testament to how excited their friends were that no one teased them.

"So, you're gonna name the baby Javier if it's a boy, right?" Esposito asked.

The women all rolled their eyes.

"No man, they'd be more likely to name the kid Kevin. Or even Ryan!" Ryan told him.

"Please bro. You know Javier is the better name. Kevin Castle? Ryan Castle? Nah. Doesn't have the same ring to it as Javier Castle. Be real."

"Dude. This kid would be lucky to have either of my names," Ryan pouted.

Rick and Kate looked at each other and let the guys bicker back and forth for a few more minutes before they interrupted.

"Hey guys," Kate said.

Two heads flew around to look at her. "You gonna set him straight Beckett? Or do I have to call you Castle now too?" Esposito asked.

She smiled. "Officially it's Castle. But I guess you can call me Beckett when we're together so there's no confusion. And to answer your other question…as nice as your names are, we already have names chosen."

Four sets of eyebrows raised at this.

"Well?" Lanie demanded. "Girl, you better tell us."

"If there's a girl, we are thinking Margret Johanna Castle," Kate said and Lanie smiled.

"I love that. That's a great way to honor your mom." Lanie grinned at her best friend and watched as her eyes swam with tears at the thought. The guys and Jenny all nodded in agreement.

"What about for a boy?" Esposito questioned.

"Alexander Mark Castle," Rick told their friends.

"Still not as good as Javier," he mumbled, then laughed. "I'm kidding, bro. It's great."

"Okay, but what if you have two boys or two girls?" Jenny asked, always the practical one.

"We haven't quite figured that out yet," Kate told her honestly.

"So there's still a chance for a little Ryan Castle!"

"You mean Javier Castle, don't you?"

"Maybe I meant Kevin."

"Bro."

"Don't bro me."

"Anyway," Lanie said pointedly in an attempt to shut the boys up. "What did you decide about work? Is this why you didn't answer Gates right away?"

This question had the desired affect. Ryan and Esposito closed their mouths and snapped their attention back to Rick and Kate.

The couple shared a look before Rick spoke. "Yeah, this is why we wanted to take our time and think about this decision. You guys know how the job is. It's dangerous, and with babies involved - "

"You know we'd look out for her, right?" Esposito interrupted.

"We would," Ryan agreed wholeheartedly.

"We know you guys would. No question about that. There's no one I trust more to look out for Kate's best interest," Rick told them sincerely.

The guys grinned, obviously flattered.

"So?" Lanie asked. "What did you two decide?"

"Well, I still haven't talked to Gates yet," Kate began. "So I don't really know what she'll think about my terms. But, we decided that we would go back, but only for a couple of months right now. And I'm not going to be in the field as much, if at all. I don't know how realistic it is, but I want to take a significant amount of time off after the babies are born too. When I go back though, I would want to have less field time too. I just don't know what Gates will say about all of this."

There was silence around the table. Kate shot Rick a panicked look and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Look, guys, I know it will be different, but we have to do what we think is right for the babies, and for Kate. Trust us, it wasn't an easy conclusion to come to, but - " Rick began.

"We get it," Ryan interrupted with a nod of agreement from his partner. "We want what's best for you too."

"And we'd rather have you back, hanging at the precinct than not there at all," Esposito piped in.

"Yeah, we miss having you guys around. It's pretty boring without Castle's crazy theories."

Rick grinned at them. "Aw, you miss me?"

Esposito shook his head. "Nah, bro. Just Beckett."

Rick stuck his tongue out childishly and everyone laughed.

"I bet Gates will feel the same way the guys do," Lanie told her friend who gave her a doubtful look.

"I don't know, Lanie, it's Gates. You never know with her."

"I think Gates misses having you around. Even Castle," Ryan teased. "You know, she doesn't really have anyone to drive her crazy these days."

"I aim to please," Rick said with a smirk.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Well, we can hope that's the case."

"When are you going to tell her?" Jenny asked them.

Rick and Kate looked at each other and thought for a moment.

"We hadn't really discussed it," Rick said. "But maybe tomorrow?" he raised an eyebrow to his wife in question and she nodded.

"Maybe we can run by the precinct in the morning before we go to the doctor."

"Ooo girl! Exciting! Did you decide if you are going to find out the sex of the baby when you can?" Lanie asked enthusiastically.

Kate smiled up at Rick who kissed her forehead. "Yes, we're going to find out. We want to be able to get clothes and decorate the nursery and everything."

The noise Lanie let out was nothing short of a screech.

"Geez Lanie," Rick laughed. "I thought you were done with those."

She grinned sheepishly over at him. "What can I say Castle? I'm excited."

Everyone chuckled at this.

"I'm totally gonna throw you the best baby shower ever," Lanie informed her friends.

"I want to help!" Jenny added enthusiastically.

Kate beamed at them. "You guys don't need to throw us a shower."

Lanie glared at her. "Girl. I _will_ be throwing you a shower. Don't you dare take my fun away."

"Okay, okay, I guess if you must," Kate conceded and Lanie smiled triumphantly. "Just promise me one thing?"

Lanie looked at her friend and raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Just promise you'll ask Alexis to help. I want her to feel included in all of this."

"Oh girl you got it! I love that kid." Lanie turned to Jenny. "Lunch tomorrow at Remy's to plan? I'll call Alexis."

Jenny nodded as she finished her sparkling cider.

Rick looked around the table at his friends. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. He was sitting here next to his beautiful wife who was expecting twins, and they were surrounded by the best group of friends anyone could ask for. He truly felt like the luckiest man in the world. Rick glanced at his watch and noticed the time. "Hey guys, I hate to end the party, but I think we should probably head home. Jet lag is setting in."

Kate nodded and was surprised to feel the exhaustion wash over her as they stood up. She swayed slightly and Rick placed a steady arm around her waist for support. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought," she told their friends who nodded in understanding.

Everyone stood to offer their congratulations once more along with a round of hugs.

"Thanks," the couple replied together and everyone laughed.

"Some things will never change," Esposito told them.

Kate giggled. "You know you love it Espo."

He shook his head slightly, but the smirk on his face showed he did.

Rick pulled on his wife's waist and led her towards the exit. "We'll see you all soon," he called over his shoulder.

Kate leaned her head on his chest and let out a contented sigh. "That went well."

"That it did," he told her as Sam opened the door to the towncar. "Ready to go home?"

"Ready," she replied as she snuggled into his side and closed her eyes for the ride.

She was out within seconds and Rick enjoyed the short ride to their new home with his arms tucked around her. He rested his head on hers and watched the buildings pass by. It was always great to go on vacation and get away, but it was nice to be home, back in New York, with their friends and family. He was ready to hug his daughter and see what he had missed out on while they were gone.

Kate didn't stir when they pulled up to the building, so Rick lifted her out of the car and carried her inside. She blinked blearily up at him when he stepped into the elevator and pressed a kiss to his lips before she closed her eyes again. Rick smiled lovingly down at her. She didn't even complain that he was carrying her. Oh how times change.

Rick walked down the hallway and was surprised when the door to their new home flew open while he tried to pull out his key.

"It's about time you guys got back!" Alexis said excitedly. When she saw Kate was asleep she lowered her voice. "When did she fall asleep?

"On the drive over from the Old Haunt. I think all of our travel finally caught up to her."

"Can you wake her, please? I really want her to see this," Alexis practically begged.

Rick sighed, but his daughter looked so excited he gave in. "Kate, honey," he whispered in her ear. "We're home. Alexis wants us to see something."

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled sleepily over at her stepdaughter. "Hey Lex." Kate wiggled and Rick helped her down to the floor. He placed his arm around her waist and she leaned into him.

Alexis stepped inside and waited for their reactions. In the entryway there was a giant sign that read, "Welcome Home Mom and Dad!" Everything had been put in its proper place. There were books in all of the bookshelves, their various trinkets scattered in what looked to be perfect locations, and all of their throw pillows and blankets were on the couches.

Her parents were unbelievably touched. "You did all this?" Kate asked in awe of their daughter.

Alexis grinned over at them. "Welcome home."

_Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen_


End file.
